


A Tale of Two Brothers

by Alicartin



Category: Dororo (Anime 2019)
Genre: AU, Rating May Change, Tags May Change, this is my first time posting a fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-03-01 03:42:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18792280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alicartin/pseuds/Alicartin
Summary: “Just what were you planning to do?” she yelled at him. Her voice horse and close to tears. She knew damn well what he wanted to do. He wanted to get rid of him. Their son, their child. This innocent baby who didn’t ask to be born this way. And she wasn’t going to allow it, not over her dead body. "What kind of a samurai would throw his own flesh and blood away? Where is your honor?” she yelled, tears beginning to fall down her face.And it was at that moment that Daigo allowed his emotions to get the better of him.An AU in which Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru grew up together, as Daigo allowed his wife to keep the child.





	1. A child is born

**Author's Note:**

> Ok full on disclaimer, I am not a writer, well at least not an experienced one.  
> This is my first time posting a fic online, so since I am still learning I encourage criticism! Though please be kind!  
> I just loved this AU idea so much and I was sad that I didn't see anyone else do it, so I though why not me?  
> So please enjoy my attempt at writing! ^^
> 
> Edit: This story was proof-read by fetuscakes! They did an excellent job in not only fixing my grammar and spelling mistakes, as well as my repetitious wording, but also added some extra material into the story, that made the overall piece flow much better. They also suggested some ideas that ended up in the work! So don't credit this whole story to only me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional disclaimer, there's a scene where Daigo uses some ableist language, so look out for that!

The rain was pouring on that day. Showering the ground. Every drop dripping from the grey cloudy sky. In the distance, he could hear a woman weeping. She was about to give birth. It was on that day that Daigo’s child was about to be born. He felt as if the day could have been better. After all, it was his heir. The rain kept pouring, as if it was trying to warn him about something. And he had a good idea what this ominous atmosphere was about.

Lost in his thoughts, lightning suddenly struck the building, startling him, and he heard a horrified scream. One of the midwives ran passed in terror.

He quickly ran into the room where his wife was. It wasn’t that he was afraid, just slightly concerned that was all. After all, his wife was in there, in a vulnerable position in more ways than one.

But when he came into the room, he was greeted with the smiling face of his wife Nui who was holding his newborn in her hands. It seemed like everything was fine, and yet the smile his Nui had seemed slightly forced as if she was hiding something behind those upturned lips.

“Is the baby born?” he demanded.

“Yes, but…” the midwife said in frightened voice, concern written all over her face.

“What? Say it”, he pressed, his cold eyes boring into her.

“He is born, my lord. He is your son”, his wife said in a gentle voice, much softer then usual.

“My lady…” the midwife stammered worriedly, shooting distressed looks at the lord.

So he was right, it was a boy after all. He knew it. Suddenly he felt pride over his newborn son, coming closer to see him for himself, to embrace this future heir of his in his arms.

“An heir, you’ve done well!” He came closer, despite the tense body language of everyone in the room and the evident concern in the midwife's voice.

He leaned forward to take his progeny from his wife’s slightly trembling hands, and carefully took the bundle into his arms.

“Sir, no!” the midwife yelled.

It was then that Daigo opened the blanket the baby was covered in. He let out a shocked gasp.  
The baby, his son-

“I don’t know what happened”, the old midwife said tearfully. “He is alive, but he has no limbs, eyes, nor a nose. He doesn’t even have any skin” she finished with a sad voice. She obviously felt sorrow for this poor child.

With an imperceptible shudder, Daigo remembered. He knew. The deal.  
Little before this child was born, he made a covenant with the demons.

 _I will give you anything of mine._ He remembered saying. _Anything. Take whatever you wish._

„My lord, I feel a deep love for this woeful child of ours. No matter his appearance, he is our son”, Nui spoke tenderly, her eyes shining. It was an obvious attempt to comfort him. She had a gentle voice full of love for this deformed child. But she didn’t understand, Daigo wasn’t the least bit sad.

Slowly he let out a chuckle, and soon the chuckle turned into a full blown uproarious laugh prompting worried and confused looks from his wife. The midwife and his wife looked at him with shock. How could he laugh at such a thing? His own child, who was born without limbs, eyes, skin or nose?

“My dream will be fulfilled”, he finally declared, when he got his breath bath, with a look in his eyes that bordered on the manic.

Nui was in shook. “My lord?”

“The demons agreed to the deal”, he explained to her, the cruel laugh still in his voice . “You don’t need to worry”, he said as he gave the small child to the midwife and turned to his wife “Thank you for bearing him”.

Nui immediately realized what he was planning to do. It took all of her strength, but she got up and grabbed the child away from the midwife. Tightly embracing the boy in her arms, with a fierce look in her eyes. She zealously turned to her side, shielding the baby with her body.

“Just what were you planning to do?” she yelled at him. Her voice horse and close to tears. She knew damn well what he wanted to do. He wanted to get rid of him. Their son, their child. This innocent baby who didn’t ask to be born this way. And she wasn’t going to allow it, not over her dead body. The grim and unyielding look on Daigo Kagemitsu’s face was answer enough.

“How dare you! Your own son!” she embraced the child tighter and only loosed her grip a little when she realized she might smother him.

“He wouldn’t survive anyway!” he protested.

“Then let him at least pass away in my arms”, she cried, trying to keep her voice even against the torrent of tears that were threatening to break. “He is our son, it doesn’t matter how he looks”.

“You are being irrational and letting your emotions get the better of you! That cripple will be nothing but a burden to us!” he was getting angry now. He knew women were like this, irrational, overly emotional and easily attached.

“He is not! What kind of a samurai would throw his own flesh and blood away? Where is your honor?” she yelled, tears beginning to fall down her face.

 _This woman! Unbelievable!_ he thought to himself. _How dare she insult him like this!_ In anger, he raised his hand, almost ready to hit her, but then he saw her crying face, and the way she was hugging the child trembling in fear… and he couldn’t do it. He knew she understood she overstepped her boundaries and so he put his hand away.

“Please… Please let me keep him”, she softly sobbed. “I don’t know how I will be able to live if you take him away from me. You won’t have to do anything for him. I will bear you another child, a future heir, just please…” tears were flowing down her face as she bit the sobs.

And it was at that moment that Daigo allowed his emotions to get the better of him.

He loved for her, he truly did. She was perhaps the only person in the world he cared about. He didn’t want to see her in this state of despair. He didn’t know what she would do if he went through with it. And even though he was aware that this child was nothing but trouble, still he was certain the boy wouldn’t even live that long.

And so he entertained her wishes and let keep the child.  
To everyone’s surprise, the boy exceeded their expectations. He wanted to live. He was a fighter, because despite everything he survived.  
They eventually choose a name for him.  
And his name was Hyakkimaru.


	2. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tahomaru is a bit jealous over the attention his mother is giving his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this together with the last chapter, but in the future I'll probably only post a single chapter at the time.  
> I just thought that the last chapter was a little too short and uneventful, so I'm posting this one as well!  
> Also this is simultaneously my attempt to write my favorite two boys as well as child characters which is something I tell you!

Despite nobody believing he would, Hyakkimaru survived, much to Daigo’s dismay. It was humiliating to know that he, Daigo Kagemitsu the ruler of this land, had a son that was so disabled. He didn’t want anyone to know, as so they kept a secret inside their court. Only family and very few servants knew the truth.

Daigo paid no attention to Hyakkimaru; he quickly decided he’d have nothing to do with this pathetic creature. He wouldn’t even call himself the father. Worst of all, even when he wasn't involved with the boy's life, the child had proved to be quite a burden to his household. Because he had no skin, Hyakkimaru had to wear bandages to cover himself so his body wouldn’t get infected. And his mother gently and patiently applied and reapplied his bandages every day.  
The samurai lord put up with this, because his wife had promised him another son, a son that would be worthy enough to be his heir. Her caring for that pitiful portion of a child was an eccentricity he was willing to ignore as long as she fulfilled her wifely duties. 

And so nine months later, Nui bore another child. It was a heathy boy. Daigo remembered the pride he felt with exuberance. Yes this truly was his son. He named him Tahomaru, a name meaning many treasures. He wanted to give his son a name worthy of a future successor.

Several days after giving birth to Tahomaru, Nui bade him for a new request. She knew that her husband would be more willing to accept her wish after she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. She wanted to find a doctor who could give Hyakkimaru prosthetic limbs.

Daigo was outraged at this and he made it very clear to her that night. After all, she promised him he wouldn’t need to do anything for that boy. He refused to spend money on a child like Hyakkimaru. Not only that, but if that brat learned how to walk, he could go outside some day and people would learn of his existence . He couldn’t even imagine the shame he would feel. But despite his anger she begged and begged, because she wanted her son to live a life as fulfilling as possible and to not be bedridden his entire existence. After a long night of angry shouting, crying and begging, he entertained her wishes again. He even found a doctor who was willing to make the child limbs for free.  
The man visited the family estate every year with new prosthetic limbs, as Hyakkimaru was still growing.

Hyakkimaru kept surprising everyone, as he quickly got used to his fake limbs and learned how to walk and use his hands. He was a quick learner and very intelligent.

Even though he was not able to see or hear, Nui knew her son could feel her presence, as he was able to move around as if he could see, without getting hurt or bumping into things. She sometimes even wondered if he was truly blind. She came to the conclusion that her boy had some sort of special power. That he was special. Oh how she cherished him.

Daigo had no love for Hyakkimaru in his heart, only paying attention to Tahomaru, while Nui was much closer to her firstborn, although she loved both of her sons dearly.

And it seemed like their children liked each other as well. Even if Hyakkimaru couldn’t see or hear, he and Tahomaru would often bond and play together in their own strange way.

Back when Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru were still very young, around two or three years old, Daigo ordered for them to be separated. He wanted Hyakkimaru to live with a caretaker in the other house their family owned. His reasoning was that Nui wasn’t paying enough attention to Tahomaru, and that a child who will be the future ruler of this land needed a mother who would be there for him at any time of the day. Not only did he need it, but he deserved it.  
It was the second time Nui was brave enough to have a fight with Daigo. She refused to be separated from her son, saying that if he leaves she will leave as well. Their night of arguing was even longer than the previous ones, but Nui prevailed, and so Daigo entertained her wishes again.

As the two children grew, Daigo was very strict about them playing together. His reasoning was that Hyakkimaru was limiting Tahomaru’s potential.

 

* * *

 

“You win, young master”, one of Daigo’s men put up his hand to signal his defeat and bowed to Tahomaru, who beamed with pride because he just won a practice battle against a fully grown adult, despite the boy only being a small child.

“Sir Tahomaru, how strong you are!” another one of the servants said.

It was something Tahomaru was used to hearing. Endless praise was just a part of his life.  
He laughed.

“Yeah, I’m the strongest in this land!” he said with a big prideful smile.

“Tahomaru. Sword practice?” the child turned, it was his father. The boy quickly ran to his dad to allow Daigo to lift him up. He happily laughed as he was boosted up and could look down on everyone around him.

“Oh, put me down”, he joked, the laughter in his voice threatening to overtake his words. He spotted his mother near the small pond in their garden.

“Mother!” he tried to get her attention. She waved at him with a smile, but it was clear that she wasn’t watching his practice up until now. And then he noticed. She was with his older brother. A small frown appeared on his face. His mother was always with his brother. No matter his great achievements, she always paid more attention to him. Which made no sense! His brother couldn’t even talk or hear! Why was he so interesting?

“What is it?” his father asked.

Tahomaru shook his head. His mood quickly switching as he asked his father about his last war and embraced him. The child was very interested in Daigo’s war stories and Daigo would always tell him about them in great detail. Nui often criticized her husband for feeding Tahomaru so much of this war talk, and often told him that she doesn’t think that he should be telling him such violent stories to their young child. Daigo dismissed her as he saw her worry as some sort of feminine hysteria. He told her that she clearly didn’t understand that these things were natural to tell a boy his age. After all, one day Tahomaru was going to be participating in these wars one day. Not only that, he would probably be starting more wars, conquering territory and seizing the enemy’s resources. Kagemitsu never figured out that his wife would be quiet when he said these things because his teeth were bared with ambition, not because she was convinced of his argument. 

That day, after his father finished telling another war story, Tahomaru went to his mother and brother. They were still at the pond. He moved his head to see what they were doing and he noticed that Hyakkimaru had caught a crab and was observing it.

His brother was wearing a wooden mask. Tahomaru had seen him without the mask a couple of times and he looked scary without it, as if he didn’t have skin. When he confronted his mother about it, she had told him that Hyakkimaru was born that way.  
He remembers when he was very young and when he asked his mother why Hyakkimaru never talked to him. Then his mother told him that his brother couldn’t hear nor see.

“Hey, did you two see my sword practice?” he asked hopefully.

“Oh Tahomaru, you know Hyakkimaru can’t see”, his mother said with a sad smile, barely turning to look at her second son before turning back to Hyakkimaru.

“He can see something, I’m sure! He’s playing with that crab isn’t he?”

Tahomaru looked at his older brother who was trying to eat the crab. The crab grabbed his mask by the nose, and the boy stated to pull him away. _He’s so stupid._ Tahomaru thought. Nui picked the crab off her son’s mask. “You’ll scratch it”, she laughed.

Hyakkimaru looked at the crab again and pointed at it, and then he moved his hand and pointed at Tahomaru. His mother started to laugh and Tahomaru quickly picked up why.

“Oh! So you’re saying that I look like a crab!” he said slightly embarrassed. “See mother! He can see after all! And stop laughing, it’s not funny!”

He calmed himself down. “So mother, did you see me fight? I was so good!” he declared proudly.

His mother smiled at him, but she looked slightly guilty. “I’m sorry Tahomaru, I didn’t see the whole thing, but from what I did you were really great!” she told him.

Tahomaru was forming a frown on his face again. He should have known his mother didn’t care enough to watch the whole thing. Sometimes he felt like she didn’t even care for him at all. It was always Hyakkimaru. He felt angry and sad.

“Nevermind”, he huffed and left.

 

* * *

 

Later that day. Tahomaru was thinking. He was angry at his mother and brother.

He didn’t dislike his brother, far from it. When they were younger they were very close and played together every day. But as they grew older, Tahomaru had realized that he harbored some jealousy towards him. Truthfully, “some” is an understatement. He was very jealous. He didn’t dislike his mother either, he just didn’t understand why his mother liked Hyakkimaru so much better than him! His mother clearly didn’t understand how better Tahomaru was in every regard.

And then suddenly, he came up with an idea. He quickly went to find his brother.

“Brother”, he said when he finally found him. “I challenge you to swordfight! You know what those are right?” he knew his brother couldn’t hear or answer him, but he still often talked to him and asked him questions like this.

He gave him a big wooden sword. “Here, let me show you how to use it”, he adjusted the sword in Hyakkimaru’s hands. “You have to hold it like this. And then you swing it like this”, he showed his older brother.

“It’s like a game, only more serious, because you can get hurt if you’re not careful”, he explained. “Now come on!” he said as he grabbed Hyakkimaru’s prosthetic arm.

This was truly gonna get his mother to notice him. Once he beats Hyakkimaru in this fight, she will see how great Tahomaru is and will pay more attention to him!

“Mother! Mother look!” he called out.

Nui came out of the house, and when she realized what was about to go down, the blood in her veins froze. But before she could say anything, Tahomaru had already swung his wooden sword. She yelled.

“Tahomaru! You’ll hurt him!” but it was too late: it Hyakkimaru was on the ground, even his mask flew off his face on impact.

“Hyakkimaru!” their mother screamed. She ran as quickly as she could and held her older son in her hands. She looked over him to see if he was hurt, and thankfully he seemed fine. She put his mask back on. Tahomaru was in shock, he didn’t expect he would hit him that hard.

“Tahomaru! What were you thinking! You could have seriously injured him!” she scolded angrily. 

Tahomaru froze, his mother never yelled at him before. He quickly tried to explain.

“I didn’t mean to hit him! I thought he was going to dodge it! I’m sorry mother, I just wanted to show you how good I am at sword-fighting! I-I I didn’t mean to hit him that hard, it was an accident!”

“Tahomaru, you should know better than to fight your disabled brother who never held a sword in his life!” It seemed like his explanation didn’t really help, none of her anger had dissipated. She scowled as she helped Hyakkimaru stand up.  
  
“I am very disappointed in you”, her tone was brusque and final.

And those words pierced through Tahomaru. Tears began to gather in his eyes.

“This wouldn’t have happened if you just paid attention to me!” he said as he ran away from her sight. Her expression softened as she realized what had happened.

 

* * *

 

Tahomaru was in his room. His head was resting on his knees as he was crouched in a sitting position, quietly sobbing. He lifted his gaze as he saw the doors to the room slowly open. When he realized it was his mother who came in, he turned away quick motion not wanting to look at her in the face.

“Tahomaru, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you”, she said, her voice filled with regret and understanding. “What you did was foolish, but I understand why you did it. And I know you didn’t hit your brother on purpose”, she sat down on the floor next to her younger son.

She lifted her hand and gently rubbed the tears off of his face with her finger. He swung his head away from her hand. She sighted and looked down onto the wooden floor.

“Tahomaru, please understand. I’m so sorry that I ignored you, I really didn’t mean for you to feel like you are unappreciated. I love you just as much as your brother”, she explained.

“Well why do you spend so much time with him?” he grumbled.

Nui stopped to think for a second, how does she explain this to a child? Then, she slowly started to talk.

“Because he would be all alone if I didn’t. You are always with your father, or the servants or with your friends, while Hyakkimaru has nobody to spend his time with but me. I don’t want him to feel like there is no one in this world for him”.

Tahomaru lifted his head and looked at his mother. He never thought about it that way. Come to think of it, it seemed like everyone was always avoiding Hyakkimaru, even him. Their father never even looks at him. Hyakkimaru would truly be all alone if it wasn’t for their mother.  
Guilt and shame filled Tahomaru as he finally realized how selfish he was being.

“I already have everyone else’s full attention and yet I still wanted more!” he realized. “I was being so selfish I didn’t even realize it! I’m so sorry, I-I, I have to apologize to Hyakkimaru, I haven’t even said sorry for hitting him!”

Tahomaru stormed out of the room and went to look for Hyakkimaru. He was again, sitting by the pond, all alone. Seeing him all alone like that, made Tahomaru realize even more how foolish he was this whole time.

“Hey, Hyakkimaru”, he said as he tapped his shoulder. The other boy turned towards him.

“I… um…” Tahomaru didn’t even know where to start, his mind was a mess. “I know you can’t hear me, but I wanted to say sorry. For using you to get mother’s attention… And accidentally hitting you… And for being selfish… And for ignoring you…” he managed to say even if his pride hurt. Tahomaru was a very prideful child so, so humbling himself like this really wasn’t something he was used to.

“I was so selfish, aniue! I didn’t even realize how you might feel, this whole time I had been thinking only about myself. Now I understand why it’s important that you have mother’s attention. Because you would feel so lonely without her… I can’t even imagine how it’s like” he confessed.

“I know you didn’t hear anything I said, but, I just wanted to let you know”, he was so ashamed and angry with himself. He was sure his brother was still mad at him and he couldn’t take it anymore. Just as Tahomaru was beginning to leave, Hyakkimaru grabbed his arm. The younger boy turned to him.

Hyakkimaru brought his brother's forehead to his own. And they stayed like that for a while, not saying a word. Tahomaru didn’t know exactly what Hyakkimaru was doing, but he felt like this was Hyakkimaru’s way of forgiving him.

The younger boy finally spoke. “Thank you”, he smiled, hoping the feeling would carry across. The finally let go of each other.

Immediately after that Hyakkimaru grabbed his hand again and pulled him to follow him, and so Tahomaru did. When they finally stopped walking, Hyakkimaru pointed at something. It was the wooden sword.

He picked it up, and did a swing motion. Then he pointed at Tahomaru, who quickly pieced together what Hyakkimaru meant.

“You want me to teach you how to fight?” Tahomaru wasn’t sure at first, but deep down he felt like that’s what his brother meant.

“Alright I’ll teach you! I can even get my friends Mustu and Hyogo to help you out!” then, an idea crossed Tahomaru’s mind.

“Hey! We can play with you, that way you won’t have to be alone or with mother all the time! We can all be friends!” Tahomaru smiled with pride, for thinking of such a great idea.

Hyakkimaru couldn’t hear what his brother said, but during this conversations, he felt something change in his brother’s soul, and that made him happy. And he reached for his brother’s hand again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it too sappy and quick? Probably, I'm bad at being descriptive, but hopefully I'll learn eventually.  
> Also there's supposed to be a drawing in this chapter, I hope I added it properly and that it's showing up.


	3. Scarier than a battlefield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tahomaru teaches Hyakkimaru sword fighting and things escalate quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small disclaimer, Daigo is an ass and uses an ableist slur agaist Hyakkimaru again. Also there is some violence against children, nothing too terrible, but it's in there so I'm giving a warning just in case!

„Hello! Mutsu. Hyogo“, Tahomaru greeted his friends with a smile.

And they greet him back. His father often told him that they are more like his servants, but to Tahomaru they always seemed like something closer than that. They played together, they helped each other, they cared for each other... Yes, they were definitely more like his friends.

And soon they noticed that somebody else was with Tahomaru, in fact the young lord was holding hands with his older brother.

“You want us to play with young lord Hyakkimaru?” Mutsu, the older of the two siblings asked.

Tahomaru nodded. “Mhm. Hyakkimaru asked me if I can teach him how to sword fight, so I thought I’d ask you guys for help”, he explained with a hopeful look.

“I thought he couldn’t talk”, Hyogo asked. He seemed confused, he has never seen the other young lord talk.

“Oh, he can’t, but I just know he wants to learn how to do it”, Tahomaru said.

The two siblings exchanged looks. They really didn’t understand their young lord sometimes, but they went through with it anyway.

Still, they knew that lord Daigo didn’t like when Tahomaru played with Hyakkimaru, it has been that way since they were very young. So they didn’t know if this was a good idea. They really didn’t want the lord to get angry. But more than that they wanted to help their friend as well.

They never really played with Hyakkimaru to be quite honest. They didn’t really know how, nor were they ever asked to. Hyakkimaru seemed so foreign to them, they were honestly kind of scared to approach him. Nevertheless, he was still their young lord and they should have been more considerate of him, they thought to themselves.

“So he wants to learn how to sword fight?” Mutsu asked.

“Alright! He’ll learn how to fight in no time”, Hyogo said. He honestly sounded quite enthusiastic over the prospect, probably because he knew that it will make Tahomaru happy.

“Hyogo!” Mutsu interrupted him. She still seemed skeptical of the idea, as she was a very practical and mature person, who always considered things twice before doing them, unlike her brother who was far more emotional. Mutsu knew that they have to consider all the possibilities.

“Young lord, don’t you think that it’s a bit unwise to teach him?” she asked. “Just yesterday you’ve gotten into a fight with your mother over sword fighting with your brother. What if you accidentally hurt him again?” it was hard to tell, as her voice was always so calm and collected, but she did sound concerned.

Tahomaru stopped to think. He moved his arm to his chin in a thinking position. “You do have a point. But we’ll be careful!” he finally said. He clearly wanted to do this for his brother, be it to make up to him, or because he wanted to spend time with his him while doing something they were both interested in. God knows, he wouldn’t want to spend the whole day just sitting around in silence doing nothing or staring at the pond.

“But sir, what will your parents think? Especially your father? They never even attempted to teach him how to sword fight, I doubt they would even allow it”, she tried again. She really didn’t want Tahomaru getting into any more trouble again. Sometimes when he got angry with his parents, or when they got angry with him, he was prone to running away. Not far, Hyogo and Mutsu always knew how to find him as he always hid on the same place. Nevertheless, she thought it was an unwise idea.

Tahomaru was startled. “I… I never really thought about it”, he admitted. But the more he thought the more he realized how unfair everything was for Hyakkimaru. Maybe Hyakkimaru wanted to learn how to sword fight this whole time, but wasn’t allowed because of his disabilities.  
Then he remembered.  
There were a few times where Tahomaru had left his wooden sword unattended. And when he did, Hyakkimaru would sometimes pick it up had picked up and observe it. But almost immediately after the sword got taken away from him. And that filled Tahomaru with anger. Did they think he couldn’t learn how to do it? Tahomaru was sure his brother could learn if he just practiced. Sure, he would probably never be as good as Tahomaru, but that was just because Tahomaru was so amazing. But he was still sure he could be pretty good too! He is going to show them!

“Still”, the small boy began. “He deserves to have fun too! We’ll make sure we don’t swing the swords too hard so he doesn’t get hurt. And then were going to show mother and father that he is just as capable as everyone else”, he said confidently. He was sure that this was going to work. Tahomaru was a smart kid, but a little to hopeful and optimistic, he was a small child after all. Then there was his sense of righteousness. He had always been a person who couldn’t stand unfair treatment. So it made sense he would think that everything was going to be fine, Mutsu thought to herself.

But even with all the warning signs, she wanted the young lord to be happy, so if getting into some trouble was what it’s going to take, then so be it.

“Are you guys with me?” he finally asked.

Mutsu exchanged another look with her brother, this time giving him a slight nod of approval.

“Yes, sir!” they said simultaneously.

Tahomaru smiled.

 

* * *

 

Tahomaru was adjusting the sword in his brother’s hands once again. The older boy had trouble holding in in a proper way, but he was quickly learning.

“What if your mother walks in on us while looking for Hyakkimaru?” Hyogo asked worriedly.

“She won’t”, Tahomaru responded confidently. “I told her that Hyakkimaru and I are going to play today, and that she shouldn’t worry about where he is”, he reassured him.

His mother, during the time she didn’t spend with Hyakkimaru or him, often prayed to a headless statue of the Goddess of Mercy she had in her room. Tahomaru didn’t know why she did that to be completely honest. She once told him that she is praying for the safety of their family. But why would she need to do that? They had servants and an army. They were more than safe. Not only that but Tahomaru could defend his family too, he was sure of it. And soon Hyakkimaru is going to be able to do it as well!

“Alright Hyogo, now you are going to attack Hyakkimaru, but be careful! You mustn’t hit him hard!” Tahomaru ordered.

And so their practice began.

At first Hyakkimaru’s defense was bad, he was getting small hits left and right. But the child tried his hardest, all of them could tell. And slowly but sure he was picking up the technique. After a few hours, he was defending himself rather well for someone who has never fought before. Or for someone who couldn’t hear or see. He managed to deflect a few hits. Which was very impressive as Mutsu, Hyogo and Tahomaru have all been training for a long time. While this blind and deaf boy was already really good at it just from a single day of training.

It was already getting late, and the children were growing tired.

“Shall we continue tomorrow?” Mutsu asked. Even she sounded exhausted, and sweat could be seen on her forehead.

“Yeah I think it is best we rest” Tahomaru admitted. He was having a lot of fun, but even he knew the time when to stop.

“You know Tahomaru, to be quite honest with you, when you first asked us if we could help teach your brother sword fighting I thought you were being unrealistic”, Mutsu said. Tahomaru frowned at her. Why did she think that? “But seeing how much young lord Hyakkimaru was willing to work”, she continued, “and how good he actually was from just a few hours of work, I’m glad we decided to help you. Your brother is quite talented at this. I shouldn’t have made assumptions” she said with a small smile.

“Of course he is good, he is my brother”, Tahomaru said proudly while crossing his arms in a cocky manner. It was odd, to hear someone praise another person who was not him, yet still feel satisfaction. It was a nice feeling knowing that his brother was good and that he helped him! At that moment he understood how his father feels about him. He smiled even more. But then his smile then turned into a frown when he remembered what his mother said the other day. Father has been ignoring Hyakkimaru since his brother was born. He never hugged him, or smiled at him, or even looked at him. It was as if he was ignoring Hyakkimaru’s existence. It made Tahomaru sad. But then hope filled him. After Hyakkimaru learns how to sword fight, their father will be proud of Hyakkimaru too! And then a hopeful smile returned to his lips.

 

* * *

 

The next day he was teaching Hyakkimaru how to throw a hit.

“You have to swing it like this, got it?” he was demonstrating how to swing the sword on a tree to show his brother how to properly hit. “Give it all you got ok, don’t hold back! I am very good at dodging so you won’t have to worry about hitting me”, he told him.

The two boys started their fight. At first Tahomaru was throwing all the hits and Hyakkimaru was dodging them the best he could. The training from yesterday payed off, as Hyakkimaru had gotten the hang of it. Sure he was still getting gentle hits, as Tahimaru made sure he was careful and didn’t swing his sword as hard as the last time.

Then Hyakkimaru went out of the defense and straight into the offense and threw his first hit. It was as if he was waiting for Tahomaru to get slightly tired and lower his guard. The younger brother dodged it of course, but he had to admit that he was impressed. He didn’t expect that his brother would have a strategy in mind.

Hyakkimaru continued with the offense, but since Tahomaru was an expert, and dodged every hit with ease.

But at the moment when Hyakkimaru was planning to attack again, Tahomaru heard a voice called out for him.

“Tahomaru! Where are you?” he heard his father calling out for him.

“Father?”

Just as the boy turned his head, Hyakkimaru managed to swing his wooden sword and knock Tahomaru off balance, and throw him on the ground. Unfortunately it was as if Hyakkimaru had heard what his brother told him, the older didn’t hold back and it was a nasty hit.

Both Hyogo and Mutsu gasped and quickly ran towards Tahomaru who was now on the ground trying to suppress the pain he felt. It hurt, it really did.

Just at that moment, as if he couldn’t have picked the worse time, Daigo entered the area they were all playing. When he saw Tahomaru on the ground holding his leg, and Hyakkimaru on his two feed with a wooden sword in his hands, he quickly pieced together what had happened. Rage was starting to build up.

“Hyakkimaru! What have you done!” he yelled at the deaf child with anger. He stomped angrily towards the small boy and aggressively pulled him closer. The child just followed limply, clearly not understanding what had just happened. Daigo raised his hand upwards.

Tahomaru realized what was going to happen and yelled. “Father don’t!”

The way Daigo turned his head towards the child on the ground terrified the young boy. He had an enraged look in his eyes. He had never seen his father look at him like that.

 “Don’t what? You should be happy that I didn’t decide to hit you after this! Have you no shame? For your honor to be insulted like this? By a cripple like your brother?” he was clearly enraged at the mere thought of his son that he was so proud of being beaten by someone like Hyakkimaru. By his firstborn for who he had no love in his heart for. It was shameful and hurt his own pride.

Tahomaru wanted to speak up and explain the situation, but the loud aggressive voice of his father shut him up. He was out of words and didn’t know how to defend himself. He just wasn’t used to his own father yelling at him like that. He didn’t enjoy it in the slightest.

Daigo’s attention then shifted towards Mutsu and Hyogo.

“And you two! You should be thankful if I don’t decide to forbid Tahomaru from seeing you after this! You should have known better than allow this lunacy to happen!”

Tears were beginning to gather in Tahomaru’s eyes. How did things become this horrible this quick?

“And don’t you dare think I’m done with you!” he said as he turned his head towards his firstborn son with a raised hand again.

Tahomaru acted quickly and grabbed his father’s robe and pulled with all of his strength.

“Please father it’s not his fault! It was my idea for us to sword fight, I told him not to hold back, it was an accident!” he cried. “I just wanted you to be proud of Hyakkimaru too!” he said chocking back the tears.

_***SLAP*** _

Suddenly Tahomaru realized what had happened. His father had slapped him over the face. He brought his small hand to the area where he had been hit, as like he couldn’t believe what had just transpired.

Before he knew it his father hit his brother as well, so hard the mask nearly feel off. But Hyakkimaru had no reaction, as if he couldn’t even feel the pain.

After that he left the two boys.

His wife had seen his furious face and even though she knew she shouldn’t get involved, she asked.

“My lord, is everything ok?” she said in a meek voice.

“Those children of yours are unbelievable, just unbelievable! How dare you bear me such useless disobedient sons!” he yelled.

Tahomaru didn’t know what to do. So he just without thinking got up and started running and running and so he ran away from the court.

He ran like that for a while. And when he finally stopped running he was standing near the edge of a small cliff. It was the place he always went to when he felt sad. The place comforted him.

So much was going through his mind. Why did this have to happen? He just wanted to be a good brother. Did he really do something bad? But what? Nothing bad happened, it was just a small accident. He shouldn’t have gotten slapped… or yelled at… or insulted.

The small child was at the verge of tears again. He just wasn’t used to this! Why was father so cruel today? Did he really hate Hyakkimaru that much? But why?

While his head was spinning with questions, he realized that somebody had been watching him. Of course, Mutsu and Hyogo must have followed him, they knew this was his hideout. But when he turned he wasn’t greeted by his friends, but by his brother.

He was shocked. His brother had followed him? Did the boy feel guilty over what happened?

“Hyakkimaru”, the smaller child greeted the older in an unsure voice.

“Father must be pretty angry at me right now. He probably hates me after what happened”, Tahomaru said with a fear in his voice. But his tone also sounded defeated, as if he accepted this fate. “Now I know how it feels I guess, to have someone hate you. Father hated you your whole life didn’t he? The way he was ready to blame you, the way he looked at you, it wasn’t the first time it had happened, huh? It must have been that way for a long time, only I haven’t even noticed up until today”, he sadly said. He couldn’t even imagine how his brother must feel.

Then he noticed that his older brother still had the wooden sword in his hands. He reached out and gave the sword to Tahomaru.

“Why are you giving me this?” Tahomaru asked confused. The two brothers stayed in silence for a little while, juts looking at each other.  
Then Tahomaru realized what the older meant by giving him the sword. Hyakkimaru was trying to tell Tahomaru that he didn’t have to teach him sword fighting anymore. He was probably trying to apologize in his own way. But how could have he have known what just transpired? Tahomaru’s eyes filled with tears again.

“So when are you going to tell me you can see and hear after all?” Tahomaru joked. His small laugh was trying to suppress his sobs, but he didn’t do a good job of hiding them as tears fell down his face.  
Tahomaru wasn’t a crybaby, he really wasn’t, but after everything that happened today it was hard not to be sad.

“No”, he said when he finally calmed down, “I’m still going to teach you how to do this. Father isn’t going to stop us. We can… we can practice here! Mother and Father don’t know about this hideout, so we should be safe!” he sounded hopeful yet again.

Right then, his friends caught up with them. They were obviously looking for the two young lords after both of them have ran away. They looked worried, but Tahomaru assured them that everything was fine, and so they all went back.

 

* * *

 

When the children came home, they were greeted by the boys' worried mother.

“Hyakkimaru, Tahomaru, where have you two been? I’ve been worried sick!” she scolded her two children. Then she turned towards the other two siblings. “Mutsu, Hyogo, thank you for finding them, I was especially worried that Hyakkimaru was going to get lost. So thank you for preventing that” she said in a thankful tone that immediately changed once she shifted her attention back towards her two sons. “And what is this I heard about Hyakkimaru sword fighting? He could have gotten hurt again! Tahomaru you should have known that I don’t approve of this by now”, she said strictly. Tahomaru really wasn’t ready for another scolding.

“But mom, Hyakkimaru didn’t get hurt,” Tahomaru protested.

“Tahomaru, you can’t just sword fight with a child who can’t see or hear”, his mother explained. Those words made Tahomaru gag, as he remembered the fight he had with his father earlier that day, who also underestimated Hyakkimaru because of his disability.

“So what if he can’t see or hear! He though amazingly during our practice! You should have seen him, he even knocked me off the ground! He is going to be a great samurai someday mom, why are you all so unfair to him?” Tahomaru was getting angry. “Father was mad at him for being good, and now you’re mad at me for letting him have fun and do something he not only enjoys, but is actually good at! It’s not fair! What if he someday needs to defend himself? You coddle him, but he doesn’t need to be coddled! He is strong!” he finally finished. So much passion was stored in that small body of his. He clearly cared about this unequal treatment his brother had to go through and he was not going to allow such injustice.

His mother was silent for a while.  
Tahomaru had a point, she was coddling Hyakkimaru, but for a good reason. Tahomaru didn’t realize how close she was too losing her firstborn. Just how many times. What they were doing certainly was dangerous, and yet… Hyakkimaru was fine. He didn’t seem hurt in the slightest. And from what her other son said, he was enjoying it and playing with children his age.  She was just the type of person who just despised everything that had to do with fighting and violence, and really cared for the safety of her children. But she also cared for their happiness. She certainly didn’t want her worries to gatekeep her children’s happiness. Tahomaru was right, Hyakkimaru was strong. And not only that, but he has a brave and caring younger brother to look after him and  protect him. And so she let out a sigh.

“Just…”, she began in a tone that sounded like she was still debating with herself. “just be careful then alright?” she finally said with a small smile.

And Tahomaru’s face brightened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I should probably wait awhile before I post these chapters till I have more of them done, but I'm pretty impatient... XD  
> Despite that I hope you enjoyed today's chapter! I probably won't be this fast with updating the story, I just had a lot of inspiration these last two days and it was the weekend so I managed to get a lot of writing done.  
> Aside from that, I hope this chapter didn't feel too rushed? I tried to prolong the scenes as much as possible, but after re-reading what I wrote a couple of times, it still felt slightly too fast paced. Still, I hope I'll get a hang of pacing things better in the future. And I also hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. A lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because of his brother's new achievements, Tahomaru can't feel but jealous again, even if he's trying his best not to feel that way this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The premise is similar to a previous chapter, but I feel like Hyakkimaru eventually surpassing Tahomaru would make this boy jealous again, only he would deal with it differently this time around.

The incident with their father really stained Tahomaru’s relationship with him. Seeing how cruel Daigo’s treatment of Hyakkimaru was, Tahomaru came to the conclusion that his father wasn’t the man he thought he was this whole time. After the incident, the two downright refused to speak to each other for a few days. Both had been disappointed with the other, but for completely different reasons. While Tahomaru was mad at his father for the unfair treatment he had towards his brother, Daigo was apparently mad because Tahomaru insulting his honor, or so the boy overheard his parents talk about the situation.  
Despite being angry at his father, Tahomaru still loved him, and wanted things to go back the way they were as most children do after a fight with their parents. Still he knew that he wasn’t going to be the one to apologize, he refused to. After all, he didn’t do anything wrong! He just wanted his brother to do something fun, and that was not a bad thing.  
Unfortunately for Tahomaru, Daigo was a stubborn man, and didn’t seem like he felt sorry at all.  
And so things stayed like that for a while. After some time, Daigo let the situation go and started speaking to Tahomaru again. Even if the boy knew things weren’t the same, he was happy that this ordeal ended. Even if Tahomaru never got his apology.

Because Daigo still seemed very much opposed to the idea of Hyakkimaru doing pretty much anything fun, the two brothers continued their sword fighting practice in secret, despite his disapproval. Their mother knew about it, but she never saw the actual practice out of fear that her husband might find out what the boys were doing in secret.

And so almost every day, during the time Daigo wasn’t home, Tahomaru would take his brother Hyakkimaru out along with his friends, and they would all train in Tahomaru’s hideout.

With each new week, they would teach Hyakkimaru something new, and the boy was catching up with them quickly. Tahomaru and his friends were impressed how quickly Hyakkimaru was able to learn.

With each new day, Hyakkimaru was becoming better and better. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. And soon a whole year has passed.

It took Daigo long enough, but eventually the man had realized what the children were doing in secret. He was outraged again. But Tahomaru tried his best to make his father realize that Hyakkimaru training was a good thing.

He told him how good Hyakkimaru was and how hard he worked. Tahomaru knew his father didn’t care about that, as it seemed he downright despised Hyakkimaru for whatever reason. So the boy tried a different tactic. He tried to make him understand that training would actually make Hyakkimaru less of a problem to Daigo as he would become more independent.

Eventually Daigo had succumbed to hid child’s pleads, but under the condition that he gets to see how well the training has paid off, just so he knew that Tahomaru wasn’t wasting his time with a pointless cause.

So one day, he made Hyakkimaru and a few of his servants fight, and needless to say he was shocked. The boy avoided hits like an expert and even threw a few at his opponents. Yes, he didn’t win the fight, which made Daigo smile a little to see the little brat fail.  
But still, no matter how much it hurt him to admit it, Hyakkimaru was good. And so he let the children have their fun.

And the boy truly was gifted. The way he would eventually learn to dodge every attack with ease, the way he learned how to strong and precise hits… It was no short of incredible for anyone to learn that fast, and especially for someone who couldn’t see nor hear.

But he trained hard, no matter his circumstances, he was determined. First the child learned how to beat Hyogo, soon Mutsu followed, and finally after another year had passed, came the day when he managed to surpass even his own brother.

Tahomaru remembered that day clearly. He… he got very angry on that day. Needless to say he was shocked. Yes, he did see how fast his brother’s skill was growing, but he didn’t expect him to actually become better than Tahomaru. Tahomaru had been training for much longer then Hyakkimaru, and yet his brother quickly caught up with him and surpassed him. It was hard not to get angry at such talent.

That day after he lost the first match against his brother, he was very grumpy. He demanded a rematch, only to lose again. And then again. During the next couple of days, he downright refused to be with his brother unless they were having a rematch, but just couldn’t win. Eventually, he realized how petty he was being. So what if his brother was better than him? He was still good!

He realized that he shouldn’t have allowed himself to get jealous again, after all he should be happy. Still it was hard to accept that someone like Hyakkimaru could surpass him in only two years after all the training Tahomaru had to go through. He stopped that line of thinking immediately. There’s no ‘someone like Hyakkimaru’, that sounded like something his father would say. He should be happy for his brother, not try to put him down in his mind. But it was hard to be happy, when he just felt mediocre compared to Hyakkimaru. And he didn’t like feeling mediocre, he was great! But eventually, he made peace with the fact, even if he still was very jealous, no matter how much he tried not to be.

And so, he managed to suppress his jealousy for a while. So what? Someone was better than him, he could deal with it. Still it was a bit humiliating when others saw him get beaten by Hyakkimaru.  
Ever since they showed their father Hyakkimaru’s skill, they had been allowed to train in the court of their house. So every time he missed a hit, or got one, felt so much more shameful as other people could see it too. Not because he didn’t think his brother was good, but rather because others often underestimated Hyakkimaru and underappreciated his achievements.  
If they couldn’t appreciate Hyakkimaru’s skill, then what did they think of him?

Thankfully people eventually caught on that Hyakkimaru was talented. And started praising the young lord. Finally, they no longer saw him as an outsider. Even Daigo one day admitted that he was impressed by Hyakkimaru. It was the first time Tahomaru had heard his father proudly call his brother his son, even if it did seem like his father was ashamed to say it as he had been wrong about the boy this whole time.

Seeing Hyakkimaru get regular praise from others was a nice change Tahomaru thought. He felt proud of his brother for managing to subvert everyone’s expectations and become loved. It felt great at first. Yet… there was still the aura of jealousy Tahomaru had, and from that point it had only gotten worse.

Nobody was impressed by the younger boy anymore it seemed, all of their focus was always on Hyakkimaru. Perhaps, it was fair. After all, Tahomaru had gotten praise his entire life, maybe it was finally his brother’s turn to get a taste of it. But it was so hard for the child to accept.

He should be happy for his brother, he really should, but he was finding it harder and harder. He was just so used to him being the one to get all the endless praise, to him being the one who was called amazing and gifted. The occasional praise he received wasn’t enough for him. It felt fake, unearned, he felt like his brother should be getting that praise and not him. Especially since he felt that his father wasn't as proud of him anymore.

His mother had noticed that something was off about her younger son too.  
The boy insisted more training, harder training, more opponents, harder opponents. It was as if the child was never resting, only just practicing and training.  
It was clear that he had been pushing himself so hard to get on the same level as his brother was. She felt bad for the boy, he was an extremely talented child as well and he was clearly beating himself down because of the high expectations set for him.

She decided that she needed to talk to him.  
During one of her son’s training practices, she approached him.

“Tahomaru? Can you come with me for a little bit”, she gently asked.

“Sorry, mother I’m kind of busy right now”, he responded, while swinging his wooden sword at one of the servants.

“It’s important”, she tried again. He looked at her. She had a worried expression on her face. Realizing that this is probably something important, Tahomaru put his sword down.

“Alright”, he responded.

They went to Tahomaru’s room, and sat down.

“So? What did you want to talk about?” he asked, even though he had a pretty good idea of what it was.

“Tahomaru. You’ve been training a lot lately”, she observed. “You were really good!” she encouraged him. Tahomaru didn’t believe that. He didn’t believe any praise he got as of recent. Still he managed to smile and thanked his mother.

“Thank you”, he said a small voice.

His mother smiled too, but then frowned and let out a sigh.

“Tahomaru, I wanted to bring you here to talk, because I’ve been worried about you”, she said biting her lip. “I know something is troubling you and I wanted to ask, if perhaps you want to talk about it”, she asked him.

Tahomaru stood there for a second, thinking of a response.

“Nothing’s been troubling me”, he simply said. He clearly didn’t want to talk about this, and was already getting up to leave.

“It’s your brother isn’t it?” she tried again, hitting the bullet point this time.

“What about my brother?” Tahomaru asked, his head turned away.

“You… you are feeling jealous of him again… aren’t you?” she said knowing that it was the case.

Tahomaru was silent. He didn’t want to respond to that. During these types of conversations he often just left, because he found it hard to deal with them. The truth was hard to face. But he decided that he was going to be mature, he wasn’t going to act irrationally and he was going to ask for help to deal with his feelings, unlike the last time he felt jealous of his brother.

“A little…” he finally admitted.

“I see”, his mother responded. “Tahomaru”, she said, “you realize that just because your brother is slightly better than you, that’s nothing to be ashamed of right?” she gently said.

“I know mother, it’s just that…” this was hard for him, Nui could tell. “I just, I was always the one getting praised, and now that the tables have turned… I don’t know I just feel like I’m not good enough. That’s why I want to work harder!”

“But Tahomaru, you are good. You are really good, you have always been very talented” his mother tried.

“I just don’t feel like I am I guess”, he said with a frown.

Nui was silent. She didn’t know how to make her son feel better, he was dealing with his own deep insecurity and no matter how much she or others try to make him realize how good he is, he just won’t believe them. She let out another sigh.

“I know that what you are going through is hard for you. But believe me when I say, that you don’t need to prove yourself to anyone, because we already know your worth. Your brother might be slightly better than you, but that doesn’t make you any less good”.

She looked at her child. He didn’t seem any more convinced. She warmly smiled at him.

“Come here”, she sat as she pointed to her lap.

Tahomaru hesitated a little. Was this really appropriate? He wasn’t a small child anymore. But he gave in and listened.

He felt even more embarrassed. Does he really need to be comforted by his mother over something this insignificant? He blushed over the shame, still when he saw his mother’s smiling face, he felt better.

“Do you want to hear a story?” she asked her son.

Now Tahomaru really did feel like he was a toddler again. Still he couldn’t just say no to his mother, after all she was trying to make him feel better.

 “It will make you feel better I’m sure”, Tahomaru doubted that, but he let her anyway.

“Sure”, he simply said.

 “Well. There was once young girl, who used to sing a lot. People often told her that she had a beautiful singing voice”, she told him.

“Then one day, another girl appeared in her village. She sang like bird, she truly had a beautiful voice”, she continued. “After the girl appeared, everyone started telling her what a wonderful voice she had, and the first girl started to feel jealous. Well… it was more like she started to feel as if I wasn’t good enough, because someone had bested me. At first she was competitive. She tried working harder on her singing, to become the best again. But after some time, she gave up, coming to the conclusion that she will never reach her goals. She was discouraged. She had stopped singing altogether. She felt as if she was never good in the first place, and like someone else should have gotten the praise she used to get. But after a while, she realized how silly she was being. Someone was better than her. So what? That shouldn’t stop her from doing what she loved and being proud of her achievements!”

His mother took a pause and looked at her son. “And so she began singing again”, she told him.

“One day, while she was getting some water from the lake, a young lord approached her. He heard her singing, and wanted to know the source of the sound. He told her that he thought she had a beautiful voice. After that, the two started to get to know each other and eventually fell in love.

That lord might have heard many beautiful singers in the past, but that didn’t stop him from appreciating her, even if she wasn’t the best. Had she continued to be discouraged about her singing, she might have never met him.

Your and her situation might not be completely the same, but the message is.

There’s a time and place for everything. Just because you might not be the best, it doesn’t mean your hard work and talent will go to waste. Someone will always be there to appreciate you, even if there are people who are better then you. It’s great to strive to be the best, but don’t do it to prove yourself, do it so it makes you happy” she finally said.

Tahomaru was actually surprised. He did feel better after hearing the story. His mother was right, it’s good to strive to be the best, but he was doing it for the wrong reasons. Then he realized something. Pretty much everything he did, had always been for someone’s approval. He did things so he would get praise, not because he wanted to do them. That’s not to say he didn’t enjoy doing those things, it was just that his primary reason was flawed. From now on, he will start doing things because they make him happy. He might not be the best, but he doesn’t need to be.

Jealousy was destructive, he head let it take control of him, make him feel angry at not only at his brother, but at himself as well. Not only that, but it had been preventing him from being happy for his brother finally getting noticed.

Suddenly, he realized. If he had not insisted for his brother to train with him, Hyakkimaru would have still been ignored and scorned at by the vast majority of people. The fact that he had helped to make his brother’s life better made him… proud and happy. Those should have been the emotions that were driving him! So why did he let jealousy take such a strong hold over him?

He felt motivated now. Motivated to train and work hard for the first time not to prove himself, but to make himself happy. It might be hard at first, but over time, he's sure he himself will be happier because of this new outlook. He also felt motivated to continue helping his brother. Perhaps, instead of this one-sided rivalry he felt, he could learn to help Hyakkimaru even more, and maybe his he could even help him. So one day, when they are older they will know how to fight not against one another, but together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Tahomaru is a very prideful person who holds his achievements in a high regard. He's trying his best to deal with someone being better then him, suppressing his jealousy even, but it is stronger then him. Still sometimes, all you need is a good conversation to make you feel better and help you realize some things. Well, that's at least the case with me XD.  
> Also what?? Daigo being slightly proud of Hyakkimaru? I think it's possible UwU. I feel like he would eventually stubbornly come around to seeing Hyakkimaru's talent, but only because they are related. Even if he would still rather not have him around. Don't worry, he's still Daigo and wouldn't hesitate to sell his son's body for a corn chip.


	5. The festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Nui manages to convince Daigo, the family finally spends some time together at the annual festival in a nearby town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter begins in medias res (into the middle of things) UwU.  
> I had nothing to say for the notes at the beginning so I thought the best thing I could do is be pretentious and use a Latin phrase to sound smart. >:3c  
> Too bad everyone already knows what this phrase means so I just look stupid now. :')

„A festival? Are you out of your mind?” Daigo asked his wife. He was clearly outraged at such an idea.

“I just thought that it would be a good occasion to spend time together as a family”, Nui said quietly. She knew that her husband would be opposed to the idea. Not only was he very much against Hyakkimaru going anywhere in public, but the man disliked festivals to a great degree, it was almost as if he thought they were below him, like someone of his status couldn’t possibly enjoy them. Still she gave the request a shot, despite her better judgement. She wanted their family to do something of this nature for a long time, but she knew that it will take Daigo a lot of time to accept Hyakkimaru, and this was her chance. She was not going to give up easily.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been less distant and hostile towards Hyakkimaru recently, so I thought that we could all do something together”, she continued. It was true, Daigo has become more alright with Hyakkimaru’s existence. Ever since the boy had proved his skill and continued improving over the months, Daigo was slowly becoming more and more welcoming the idea of accepting him as his son, still stubbornly so. Nui doubted that Daigo would respect anyone else in Hyakkimaru’s situation, but since the child still was the man’s flesh and blood after all, it would make sense that Daigo would eventually accept him after his son proved that he is worthy of his affection.

“But the boy can’t even see or hear! How could he enjoy the festival?” Daigo protested.

“It’s not just about Hyakkimaru, it’s about Tahomaru as well. He has been working hard recently, and I want him to have some fun. Besides, I am certain that there are physical activities for children as well, like sword fighting which is something both of our sons can enjoy. They had been plenty of those at festivals when I was their age” she reasoned. Nui had then considered what she said. Perhaps it was not the wisest choice of words to bring Tahomaru up. After all, ever since Hyakkimaru finally surpassed Tahomaru, the relationship between her younger son and her husband had changed slightly. It was like Daigo had lost a lot of the pride he felt for his son. He still complimented him from time to time, but it was clear things weren’t the same. Now she worried that her husband was going to get mad because she wanted to reward the child after he disappointed his father so much.

“Tahomaru hasn’t been working enough if you ask me. He let his brother surpass him. I don’t understand why you would want to reward such a thing”, Daigo scoffed just as Nui had predicted.

“But he has been working hard!” Nui protested. “It’s just that Hyakkimaru is slightly more skilled that’s all. People learn at different speeds”.

“Still”, Daigo began again, “I am very opposed to the idea of Hyakkimaru going”. After that line, something had ticked in Nui.

“Why so?” she asked already knowing the answer. Her voice had a slightly angered tone to it. She did her best to suppress it, but it was clear that she was bothered by her husband’s statement.

“He’s never been out in town before. We don’t know how he’ll react to seeing so many people”, Daigo said, trying to hide his true reason.

“It’s because you don’t want people knowing that he is your son, isn’t it?” she saw right through him.

Daigo hesitated to answer her question for a little bit.  But at the end, he made the decision to tell her the truth. “Yes”, he finally said.

Perhaps Nui should have been angry with him. But she was more sad then anything.

“But I thought that you finally accepted him”, she said as her voice dropped. She was disappointed. Deep down she knew it was the truth all along, but still she had hoped that her husband finally realized that Hyakkimaru was worthy to be his son. That he had been worthy all this time.

“I have an image to uphold, woman!” he angrily said, finally losing his cool. Why did she always let her emotions control her like this, she was always so unreasonable!

“People wouldn’t think lesser of you if they knew you had a disabled son! But you know what would make them loose respect? If they learn that you are trying to hide his existence!” Nui told him, getting quite angry herself. Daigo realized that this was his fault. He should have been more careful with what he allowed his wife. He was clearly giving this woman too much freedom. All the wishes he’s garneted her over the years, all the privileges he gave her, it gave her ideas! And now she was talking back at him! It was simple unbelievable.

“You are being unreasonable!” he yelled.

Knowing that being argumentative would get through to her husband, she decided to take a different approach. “Just… think about it”, she started.

“Wouldn’t people be impressed of what Hyakkimaru could do despite his circumstances?” she attempted. “I don’t think they will find our son shameful, sure he might get some weird looks at first, but once people see what he can do, they would be amazed at his abilities I’m sure”, she said trying to make him see that having Hyakkimaru as his son would be nothing other’s will see as shameful.

Daigo was conflicted a little. Would it really not be that bad? He tried to imagine others giving him praise after seeing the child’s abilities. The thought made him feel good.

“Still, why a festival? Those are for common people, surely we are above such things?” he was still opposed to the whole thing.

“Are you really this against having fun? It will just be one afternoon. And you’ve been working hard too, don’t you think you all need a break. Festivals are a great way to clear one’s mind, I’ve been to plenty of them in my youth. And I’m sure townspeople will be glad to see their lord join them. It could be a great way to connect with not only our family, but with your people as well”, she told him.

Daigo was silent. He was considering all the possibilities in his head. She did make a good point, he had to admit. The positives, really outweighed the negatives in this situation. So reluctantly and stubbornly, he accepted her request.

\---

“I’ve never been to a festival! What are they like mother?” Tahomaru asked eagerly, as the family was on their way to the nearby town. The boy seemed very excited. This was the first time their family was doing something like this. He was pleasantly surprised at the thing, after all he had heard his father mock festivals plenty of times in the past. Tahomaru knew that his father had to be wrong, after all his friends had been to festivals and liked them, so it was clear that the occasion had to be fun.

“Well, at festivals there’s lot of tasty food, we can try. And someone is always playing music. There’s lots of activities, such as plays and games. There’s also plenty of places to buy toys-“

“The toys there are simply cheap rubbish. I won’t spend my money on those! Like the rest of the festival” Daigo said ruining the mood. Nui let out a sigh, of course her husband had to insert his opinions everywhere.

“Oh come on father! It can’t be that bad! I think it’s going to be fun”, Tahomaru said with a hopeful smile.

When they finally arrived at the festival, people quickly gathered around them. Some because they already knew that this had to be their lord Daigo and his family, and others who didn’t know that fact gathered because the expensive clothes made it obvious that these people were important.

People were talking among themselves, nobody daring to ask the lord any questions in worry of saying the wrong thing. This was their lord after all, they had to have some respect.

“Lord Daigo, what brings you here? Is there something wrong?”

“No. My family and I are just here for the festival”, he admitted. In the crowd he could hear a few gasps of surprise since their lord never went to festivals and this was the first time they saw his family. Daigo was already regretting his decision, this was far too embarrassing and awkward to deal with.

“So those are your sons?” another person asked.

“Uh, yes. This is Tahomaru”, he gestured to the younger son, who was enjoying the attention. He was reluctant to point at the older child, as that will shift the people’s attention to him, and they will surely notice that there is something odd about the boy. He really didn’t want to deal with further questions, but he ended up introducing him anyway, “And this is Hyakkimaru”, he pointed at his older son.

People started to stare, quickly catching up with the fact that the other boy seemed to not have any limbs, and his face looked like a mask, but nobody dared to speak up, afraid of upsetting their lord. And Daigo realized this, shame filling him. Why did he listen to his wife and think this was a good idea? He wondered in defeat. Thankfully, he could deal with it, as long as nobody talked about it.

Then a small voice in the crowd that could have only belonged to a child asked.

“Why does he have wooden arms and legs? And is he wearing a mask?” the child asked as his mother shut the little boy up as fast as she could.

Daigo quickly said. “That’s enough everyone”, he calmly stated. “How are we supposed to enjoy the festival if we constantly have to answer questions?”

Finally the crowd disappeared, there were people who asked questions here and there, but for the most part the family was left alone.

First they decided to watch a play that was being performed nearby. To their surprise, the play was about Daigo. It talked about how the brave lord defeated demons and saved their land. Daigo was a bit offended at the actor portraying him, as it wasn’t accurate at all, still it fed his ego to hear how much his people praised him. Perhaps he could deal with the rest of the day after all.  
Nui was holding Hyakkimaru on her lap, who was very calm despite not being able to enjoy the play. She on the other hand, had a distant look in her eyes. A look that spoke a thousand words, but she stayed silent throughout the whole thing.   
And Tahomaru was quite immersed at the play. He was eating every word up.

Amazed he quietly asked his father: “Father is it true? Did you really fight the demons and save the land?”

Daigo seemed startled at first, like he didn’t really want to respond to the child’s questions. But just so he didn’t alarm the boy he simply said: “Yes”.

“Wow! How did you do it?” the boy seemed even more excited to know. He seemed so proud at his father for doing such a deed.

“It’s a long story Tahomaru”, the man said. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.

Once the play finished, the family ate some food. Well a lot of it, as Tahomaru wanted to try everything.

Nui was so glad to see her son in high spirits. He had been energetic and happy all day, and it was certainly a nice change.

After their meal, they saw a stand with some toys. When Tahomaru noticed them, he quickly decided he wanted one.

“Mother, Father? Can I get one of them? Please?” he pleaded.

“Like I said Tahomaru I am not wasting my money on this”, Daigo said in a strict tone.

“Please father! I really want it!” Tahomaru repeated.

“Excuse me”, the woman on the stand interrupted them. “If you want a free toy, there’s a sword fighting competition for children near the town square. It’s with wooden swords, nothing dangerous”, she told them.

“Alright!” Tahomaru sounded excited.

“Fair enough, if you two can win, you get the toy”, Daigo told his two sons. He sounded pretty pleased with the idea as well. This was the chance to show everyone what his children can do. He could already imagine the compliments he would get. They better not disappoint him.

Shortly after, they arrived to the place the contest was being held. There were a lot of young boys there waiting in line, eager to join the competition, certain that they will win.

While waiting in the line, Tahomaru was observing the competition. “This will be easy”, Tahomaru smugly said. “With me and Hyakkimaru, others won’t stand a chance”, he came to the conclusion.

After quite a while, the finally got to their turn.

“I would like for my two sons to enter”, he told the contest organizer, who was startled when the lord addressed him at first, probably because he didn’t expect that their lord’s children were going to participate in his competition.

“Alright. Let me just get the swords for the boys”, he said as he glanced to the two children. Quickly he stopped what he was doing after he caught glimpse of the older of the two brothers.

“Uh. I’m sorry to my lord, but one of your sons seems to have only prosthetic limbs, I don’t think I can allow him to enter the competition”, he told his lord.

“Why not?” both Daigo and his younger son asked at the same time.

Daigo was annoyed. Who did this man think he was and why did he think he gets to dictate if his children get to enter the competition or not?

“Don’t you think it’s unwise? Your son could get hurt”, Tahomaru immediately cut him off.

“But Hyakkimaru is good!” the boy protested.

“I get to decide what my children get to do, and my son is certainly capable”, Daigo scoffed. He was not going to let this man insult his honor like this. It would be beyond shameful if Hyakkimaru wasn’t allowed to enter the competition. Not that Daigo really cared that much about the child’s wants, this was about him proving to others the worth and skill of his sons after all. Hyakkimaru definitely was the better fighter of the two, and Daigo isn’t going to miss and opportunity to show off.

“Yes, but my lord if your son really is as good as he is, wouldn’t it be shameful and discouraging to the other children to be beaten by a child like him?“

Daigo was shocked. Who did this guy think he was? Yes, Daigo did use that same language to refer to Hyakkimaru in the past, but that was justified as the brat had not proved himself yet. But this! This was a man who was insulting not only the capability of one of his children but him as well! Did he think Daigo was stupid or something? Did he really think that Daigo was that incompetent of a parent that he didn’t know what his own children were capable of?

“I am the lord here, and I say that both my sons participate. And that’s final”, he told the man in an authoritative tone.

“Yes, my lord”, the contest organizer finally gave in, in a small voice and gave the boys their swords.

The competition didn’t last that long after the two young lords entered.  
They were skilled fighters after all, and beat most of the other boys rather quickly. Nobody seemed to pose that much of a threat.  
The crowd comprised mostly parents and children was amazed at the two.  
Finally they’ve gotten rid of all of their opponents, and it was time for the one on one between the two boys.

“Hyakkimaru”, Tahomaru began. “Don’t hold back” he simply said.  
Tahomaru didn’t care whether he won or lost this time, he just cared about having fun with his brother, and that positive change of attitude really made a difference.  
It was a long fight and both of the children were very skilled, still at the end it was Hyakkimaru that had won again.  
Tahomaru didn’t feel humiliated or embarrassed this time. No, instead he felt pride for his brother as he heard the crowd cheer for the young lord. It was that nice feeling again, the feeling of proving others who judged his brother based on first impressions wrong.   
He was still slightly disappointed that he wasn’t the one who was going to get the toy.

During that time, Daigo was in the middle of getting praise from other parents and children who were amazed by his sons and especially Hyakkimaru. The man didn’t want to admit it, but perhaps Nui was right that it was a good idea for them to go. He even had some fun on the festival as well.

And so Hyakkimaru received the prize, which was a small wooden figure of a samurai. Not knowing what to do with it, he immediately gave it to his brother. Tahomaru’s face lit up and he cheered:

“Hah! So I do get the toy after all!

“Great, now our son will learn that he can get prizes if he loses” Daigo whispered to his wife, to which Nui just laughed.

The day was coming to an end, and the family was well on their way home.

“I had so much fun today!” Tahomaru happily said. “Will we go next year too?” he asked his parents excitedly.

“Maybe”, his father said in a voice that could only be described as ‘I had been wrong about something and now I have to deal with it’.

“You were both amazing today”, their mother said.

“Thank you mother”, Tahomaru replied with a smile. Daigo was a little annoyed at this, after all Tahomaru didn’t win, so who was he to get praise? But still, he said nothing.

After they came home, and everyone was already well off in their beds, they all had this feeling of peace and pleasantness. It was a good day the family had, a nice change of pace one would say. And while everyone was peacefully sleeping, something could be heard in the court in front of their house. The family was still resting not knowing the horror that they would awake to. Because the creature outside, had a monstrous form. One would even go as far to call it, a demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was slightly uneventful, but it's kinda the calm before the storm of the next chapter you feel me?  
> The chapter mostly served to set up some things, and give insight into what Daigo thinks of Hyakkimaru, but I hope you still enjoyed it!


	6. The Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was supposed to be a calm and peaceful night for the Daigo family was interrupted by an unimaginable horror.   
> A terrifying monster, one could only describe as a demon.

It was night. A few hours have passed since the family went to bed. They were all well asleep, resting soundly, deep inside the covers of their sheets. It was a calm and quiet night. Everyone seemed to be at peace after the long and pleasant day. It was truly a wonderful day they had, it was not often that the Daigo family got to spend time together in such a way. And what should have been a peaceful night for them was suddenly interrupted by a sound from the outside. It was almost as if fate had decided that things were going far too well, and wanted to get involved and tangle their story. Daigo was the first to awake, disoriented, his head trying to piece together what the noise was. Nui soon followed as she had awoken as well from the terrible sound. It was the sound of people. They sounded alarmed.

But that wasn’t the only noise the couple heard. There was another sound, one sounded animalistic, but it was not of the kind a normal animal would make. No. Something about this sound sounded purely monstrous. Daigo was hoping it wasn’t true, but he had a pretty good idea of what was making the noise. It would be a lie to say he never thought it would come to this, he did, but he always hoped that he and his family would at least be safe from the terror that’s on the outside. The terror that has infected his land ever since that fateful day.

“Nui stand in here!” he ordered her. But she had other ideas, as she quickly got up and ran to the door in panic.

“But Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru, they are in the other room! What if something happened to them? We have to protect them!” she yelled in fear, knowing well that whatever was outside was clearly dangerous.

Daigo knew that she would put the safety of her children above her own, but it was not like the man had time to argue. As his wife opened the door they were greeted with an unimaginable horror.  
It was a huge creature, a few meters at least. It had an ugly grotesque beast like face and an animalistic body covered in white hair, with huge long claws that could cut a man open.

Daigo knew what this creature was. He had dealt with its kind before, though he never expected one to appear in his home.

It was… a demon.

Daigo had several guards on watch during the night, to keep his family safe. But right now his brave men were terrified. It didn’t take Daigo long to notice that a few of them very injured and that one was even lying on the ground unmoving.  
The men were throwing arrows at the creature, only for it to deflect it with its claws, only a few arrows making a blow.  
Daigo soon realized that his guards needed help and he quickly without thinking ran to get his sword. Before leaving the scene he yelled to his wife:

“Keep the children safe!”

Nui just nodded her head in fear and went to get her two boys.

To no one’s surprise, the two brothers were already awake, Tahomaru hugging the older child in fear. He knew that there was something happening on the outside, but the unfamiliar foreign sounds coming from the other side of the door paralyzed him. He was a brave boy, but this was far too much for anyone his age. So he stayed, curled next to his brother, tugging the older child’s arm. He was trembling in fear. Hyakkimaru on the other hand, didn’t seem fazed, probably not understanding the situation they were in.

During that time their mother was trying her best not to alert the monster as she as quietly as she could ran towards the room the two children were in. It was then that Nui opened the door, and a look that could only be described as one of endless relief appeared on her face. Her children were safe.

But right at that moment of peace and relief, as she opened the door, Hyakkimaru caught glimpse of something. The child always had a special power. He couldn’t see like others, but he could still see something, it was hard to say what exactly it was, but one could only describe it as the color of one’s soul. Most people he interacted with had white souls. There were exceptions of course, like his father who had red stains flashing through his soul. Hyakkimaru was always curious about those lines that stains his father’s soul. He wasn’t sure what those red steins represented, or what exactly Daigo was. But right now he was taken back, as he had never seen anything that was completely red. It had peaked the child’s interest. He quickly got up and before anyone could react, he broke free of Tahomaru’s grasp and started running towards the red flame. It was something new, and it tempted him.

His mother thankfully stopped him before it was too late, grabbing her son in a tight embrace. Right now her look of relief turned into pure panic over what he had almost done. But the boy immediately started resisting, still clearly eager to see the red flame closer. It was tempting, and he was curious. Not only that, but the red flame filled him with a feeling he couldn’t quite explain. It was a feeling unlike any he’s ever felt before.

“Hyakkimaru what are you doing?” Tahomaru yelled at his brother who was still resisting, almost immediately covering his mouth after realizing his fatal mistake.

But it was too late. Because at that moment the monster had caught glimpse of the boy as well. It hurried towards him in such a speed, it seemed almost as if the creature was here just for him.  
Not knowing that the demon was speeding towards her direction, Nui was caught off guard, as the monster pushed her away from the boy, scratching her gown and the back of her body with its claws.

But she didn’t scream, taking the pain like it was nothing, the only sound escaping her lips being her frantic call to her older son:

“Hyakkimaru!” she yelled as the horrifying creature caught the young boy.

But just as the monster pushed itself onto him, the child grabbed its claws and avoided its attacks out of reflex, quickly realizing that his life was on the line.

Nui and Tahomaru were in the corner of the room not knowing what to do, terrified with a look of pure uncontrollable fear in their eyes. The mother was embracing her younger son, in an attempt to shield him from the demon. She couldn’t look. She knew that she was going to lose her child and that it will be her fault. She didn’t want Tahomaru to lock either, so she covered his eyes with her hand.

And just at that moment, the demonic monster screamed in pain as a sword slashed through its body, knocking the creature off the young boy.

It was Daigo’s sword.

The monster was now screaming in pain, jerking and gagging, only for Daigo to brutally stab it again and again until the thing finally died.

The man looked like a mess. He was breathing heavily and his hair was all over the place. Finally once the he was sure that the creature died, he turned to his family.

“Is everybody alright? Nobody is hurt?” he asked calmly, with only a twinge of fear in his voice.

“My lord”, his wife tried weakly as the woman finally collapsed. When she did, Daigo noticed that she had been injured and that her back had with three long bloody lines scratched into her skin on her back.

“Nui!” he screamed as he went to embrace his wife in a grasp.

Quickly he looked around, and exited the room. Only a minute or two after, he returned with bandages in his hands. As fast and gently as he could, wrapped them around her body to cover the injuries. He then laid her down and covered her with a blanket.

“Tahomaru”, he turned to the younger of his two sons, “you and your brother stay here while I get a doctor”, he told the child in an authoritative voice.

The little boy could only nod, as his father stormed away on his horse to a nearby town.  
Tahomaru was still trembling.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Nui woke up. The doctor took good care of her wounds and told Daigo that she was going to be alright. She was still very weak, not only from her injuries, but also stress the previous night had caused her. She was so terrified that she was going to lose her children. It was a fear no mother should ever have to deal with.

Tahomaru had not left his room all day. He was completely driven speechless by the whole ordeal. He really thought that he was going to die that night, and not only him, but his mother and brother too. It had traumatized the poor child. He felt as if he never wanted to be in such a situation again. The fear, the panic, it was too much. But what kind of a son would he be if he told his father someday that he doesn’t want to be a samurai anymore. That he found a real battle too scary to deal with. He could only imagine his father’s disapproval and disappointment. It made him cringe.

And that was not all, he was angry. He was angry at himself for not being able to do anything yesterday. Hyakkimaru could have died, and he would have been his cowardly brother that was too struck with fear to do anything. He felt useless and weak.  
And something else was troubling him. His father.

On that very same day, Daigo had told him he defeated and imprisoned the demons in their land, Tahomaru could remember feeling very proud at his father at that moment. But… why did this demon show up then? Did it manage to escape?

Or did his father lie to him?

It’s not like it mattered, the child thought. Even if he wanted two, he wasn’t in the state to confront his father about it. So he just pushed his blanket over his head.

 

* * *

 

Daigo was with his thoughts again. 

It had been awhile since he was truly alone. With only him and his thoughts. Questions, troubles, solutions and memories. He knew exactly what yesterday’s monster attack truly meant.   
This was no ordinary monster. It came here with a purpose. It was a demon, a demon that came to collect what belonged to it. Because, the deal the demons and Daigo made all those years ago, it was never truly completed.

It was obvious, the creature was so eager to attack Hyakkimaru the moment it saw the boy. It wanted to finish what the deal had started.

Daigo remembered the night Hyakkimaru was born vividly. He’d rather not admit it, but could remember the shook he felt that very night when he saw his child for the first time. But that was not the only thing he remembered. That night when the lightning struck, not only did it struck his son as the demons collected what was promised to them, eating Hyakkimaru’s flesh, skin, eyes, everything. But the lightning also struck something else that night. It struck the statue his wife often prayed to. The statue of the Goddess of Mercy. Its head was blown off by the lightning. Daigo didn’t think much of it at the time, thinking it’s merely a coincidence, or at least he tried to make himself think that. But deep down, he knew that something was off. And now he knew what.

That night. Hyakkimaru was supposed to lose his head as well, but the goddess prevented it by sacrificing herself. And now, the demons are finally back to collect what they didn’t on that very same night.

He had dealt with demons before, after the deal was made, many infiltrated his land, so he often visited places they infected to try to drive them off so they wouldn’t terrorize his land. But this… this was the first time they attacked his family.

What probably happened was, the demon sensed Hyakkimaru when they were out during the festival. And decided to initiate its attack while the child was sleeping. He was sure of it, there was no doubt about it.

Daigo was angry with himself.

He was angry that he didn’t go through with killing Hyakkimaru on that day. Now, not only was he endangered, but his family as well. And soon it could be his land.

He knew that the pact with the demons had to be completed for him to truly accomplish his ambitions. He knew that he had to get rid of Hyakkimaru. To finally give the demons what he had promised all those years ago. And then and only then, will he be able to go through with his ambitions truly.

And yet…

After all the years he’s spend with Hyakkimaru, despite the fact that he hated the little brat throughout most of them, he still felt attached to the child. And now after the child has finally proven his worth to him, when the boy made him proud and happy to call him the title of son… He didn’t know if he could just let him die.

This was pathetic. It truly was. He was letting his emotions dictate his choices again. A leader that is driven by his emotions is destined to fail. And Daigo couldn’t let himself become that leader.

But still…

Wanting to kill his own son to further his ambitions was an emotional choice wasn’t it? It’s not like his land was in danger.

…Yet.

Still, he shouldn’t act so soon. His land was flourishing, he was winning wars, his family was closer than ever... Killing the child this early can’t possibly be a good choice. His older son was an expert fighter, and it would be a shame to not have him fight as a samurai in his army someday. To waste all that potential like that, over an ill-advised quick decision he made out of panic, sounded simply ludicrous.

He looked at his older son who was now sitting next to the pond all alone. Just like he used to a few years back. He sometimes went there when he was lonely or sad it seemed. Daigo shook his own head at that. He had to stop humanizing this child when it was barely human. He kept telling himself that of course, even if he didn’t actually believe it. The child was human, he had seen it, and not only that but he was his son. His crippled son who couldn’t see, talk or hear, who didn’t have any limbs or skin. Daigo wished his wife never wanted to keep the baby. He wished Hyakkimaru was never given arms and legs. He wish Tahomaru never taught him how to fight. He wished that Hyakkimaru had never proved himself to him. It was their fault that this had happened.

“Demon child”, Daigo remarked quietly himself, “if only I had gotten rid of you all those years ago, things wouldn’t have become so complicated. If I only went through with it”, he mumbled under his breath.

He decided that long as his land and family were safe he could deal with the situation.

But the attack that night, wasn’t the last. The demons, once aware of Hyakkimaru’s existence continued to seek him out, to get what is rightfully theirs. They attacked, moth after month they would find their way into Daigo’s court. Attack after attack. Bloodshed after bloodshed.   
After a while the family had gotten used to it. Tahomaru was braver then before, Nui had become more careful then before, Daigo had become more precise with his kills then before. And Hyakkimaru, learned what the red flame meant. And he was tempted to approach it even more than before, but for different reasons this time. Still… who gets used to monster attacks? It was only an indicator how much things have gotten out of hand. After a couple of more months of this terror have passed, was when Daigo knew, that if he needed to do something about it.

 

* * *

 

“Nui”, he one day addressed his wife.  “We need to talk”, he had a serious tone in his voice.

“What... What do you want to talk about?” Nui asked. It was a worried tone. It was clear to her what this was about, yet she was hoping that her thoughts and fears were wrong. She knew. That this was about the attacks. It had to be.

“We have to face the truth Nui”, he said and took a pause.

“Hyakkimaru… his presence it endangering everyone. Almost a year has passed, and the attacks have no intention of stopping”, he finally said after the long break.

Nui’s fears were confirmed. Once again, her husband was proposing they get rid of their son. That they kill him. But just as she promised herself on that very night her child was cursed, she was not going to allow it. Not over her dead body.

“I wanted to tell you, that we are going to move him to another house of ours. He will be safely guarded and taken care of. He will just no longer live with us”, Daigo told her. Nui stared at him. Perhaps she felt relived over the fact that her husband panned to keep the boy alive. It comforted her. But still… for how long will her lord hold onto this? She shook her head. This was bound to end badly. She needed to be there for her son. It was only a matter of time before things take a much more drastic turn, she knew it.

“I won’t let you take him away from me! He’s our son, how can you abandon him like this?” she screamed at him in outrage.

“Nui be reasonable! Both you and Tahomaru are constantly endangered with him here!” he tried to reason. “Don’t you understand? This will be the safest for the family!”

It was true what Daigo was saying. Their lives were constantly at stake with Hyakkimaru here, but still she protested.

“But we have gotten stronger! We have dealt with these attacks for almost a year! Don’t you see? We can handle them!”

“You can handle them? Both you and Tahomaru are still petrified every time a monster finds its way into our home. You are both completely incapable of handling this situation! It has taken a toll on you both emotionally and physically!” he scoffed.

“Whether that’s the case or not, it doesn’t matter! I won’t be able to sleep at night with a clear conscience knowing that my child could be killed at any moment! I won’t let you do this!”

“My word is final!” he finally said in an authoritative voice to which the woman broke down and started crying.

Feeling bad over the whole ordeal, which was ludicrous of course, he hadn’t done anything bad. He was just protecting his family, this was the only way. She should be grateful that he didn’t decide to kill Hyakkimaru, and yet she still complains! She was completely unreasonable. Yet still. He couldn’t stand to look at her like this. In such a state, broken and in tears. So he went towards her and embraced her gently in his arms.

“Nui, you will still be able to visit him very often. Every week if you want. He will be safe, my best men will guard him. And he will have plenty of people to take care of his needs”, he tried to comfort her.

“But he will be all alone up there”, she sobbed.

“This is the best for everyone”, he told her.

 

* * *

 

A few weeks had passed since Hyakkimaru started living alone. Just as Daigo predicted, the monster attacks stopped. The family visited the boy on every one of those weeks. During the first couple of days, both Nui and Tahomaru insisted they see him every day to make sure he is safe, but as time passed, they settled for a two days a week since it wasn’t a short trip.

It was hard for the two to get used to not having Hyakkimaru around.  
Tahomaru felt lonely without his brother. He still had his friends, but he was so used to having Hyakkimaru be a part of his life that it was just not the same without him.  
His mother on the other hand, started spending her days in her room, prayed to the headless statue of the Goddess of Mercy for her son’s safety.

The family had truly never been more distant. Nobody seemed to talk to each other anymore, they were all doing their own thing. Things just weren’t the same without Hyakkimaru.

But on those days when they did visit the boy, they mood changed significantly. They were all much happier on those days.

Hyakkimaru was doing alright it seemed, the caretakers were taking good care of him by the looks of things.  
Still, they all feared that the boy was lonely, especially since he didn’t have his brother around who played with him almost every day up until this change. It must have gotten some getting used to, they all knew.

But they could see the child spark with joy, even if he didn’t have the facial muscles to show it, when the family arrived. They could almost feel his happiness.

On those days, he and Tahomaru would play until the sun was down and the younger boy had to return home.

But one day, they arrived at the wrong time.

That day… they arrived during another monster attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me awhile to get this one out, sorry about that!   
> It's just a big turn for the story and I had to figure out how to write the shift in well, everything.  
> Still pretty unsatisfied with this one, I don't really know how to write intense action scenes, but I tried!
> 
> Further notes, the demon in this chapter is the same demon that attacked Hyakkimaru in the anime when he was a kid. Crazy coincidence, but it's an AU so I can do what I want! UwU  
> Additionally, the house Hyakkimaru will have to live in, is the same one we saw Tahomaru at in episode 13. So lots of parallels to the show this time around!


	7. The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After another monster attack, Hyakkimaru regains his first body part.  
> And Daigo soon realizes that he will finally have to do something about the boy.  
> Tahomaru overhears his father's plan, and decides to stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in so long!! School was ending, and I constantly kept rewriting this chapter bc I was unsatisfied with it, but finally I managed to write it! And I like how it came out quite a lot actually! This is also the biggest chapter so far, and the biggest turning point in the story too! So I hope you enjoyed it!

Travelling to Hyakkimaru’s residence wasn’t easy task. The building he resonated in was on top of a high cliff, and going there really isn’t something one would want to do often. The hot son and the exasperation that would come from walking on such a stern path made it a very exhausting activity.  
Still Nui and Tahomaru came there often. Every week in fact, and during the beginning of the separation it was even more often.  
Tahomaru was always eager on the days he got to see his older brother. Honestly, despite the attacks, Tahomaru wished Hyakkimaru still lived with them. Yes, he still had his friends, but the boy missed his brother a lot. It just wasn’t the same without the older child.  
Nui on the other hand, was eager for the days she got to visit her son as well, but for different reasons. Fear has been eating her up ever since she got separated from him. She was praying every day now, for long periods of time. She didn’t go outside of the room much, she was just so worried for her son’s safety.  
But today, someone else accompanied them. The head of the family, Daigo, decided to join as well, mostly to do an inspection on how well the caretakers and the guards are doing their jobs. Still, Nui was pleasantly surprised at the development. She was glad that Hyakkimaru will get to see his father one of these days too.

As they were nearing closer to the residence, the family stopped. Daigo to be exact, his instinct was telling him that something was wrong. Or perhaps, it was the arrow he just saw flying through the air. He stopped his wife and younger child.

“Nui, stay here”, he told his wife.

“My lord, what is wrong?” she asked, to which Daigo looked at her with a careful look in his eyes.

“There’s a chance that the palace might be under an attack as we speak”, when the words exited his mouth, both Nui and Tahomaru froze in fear.

“I’ll go first, to see if it is safe, you keep Tahomaru close”, he ordered her and left in a hurry towards Hyakkimaru’s residence. Nui could only let out a deep gasp in fear, as she embraced her other son.

When Daigo arrived, there were no visible guards in sight. Daigo quickly pieced together that his suspicions were proven correct when he saw the front entrance of the palace completely demolished. The place where the door is supposed to be was just a big gaping hole. The monster must have managed to get inside, and his men probably followed.  
Carefully he entered the place, with his sword in his hand. The loud noises of the battle could be heard through the walls. Realizing that the monster is probably searching for Hyakkimaru, he made his way to the child. His son was probably in his room, or so he hoped, as he didn’t have a clue where the boy would be otherwise, and it was not like he wanted to risk his life again for that kid. Taking careful steps so he doesn’t alarm the monster, he slowly but surely arrived closer and closer to Hyakkimaru’s room. But before he could arrive, he came face to face with the demon.  
It was a monstrous sight, but one that he was far too accustomed to by now. The demon was tall, and it had a humanoid body, it looked lanky, outside of its legs that were quite muscly built. His head consisted of a giant long mouth with a couple of sharp teeth. It look absolutely grotesque.  
His men had damaged the creature enough, but it was still standing. Daigo took out his sword. A few guards who were in the back noticed him.

“Lord Daigo! The monster, it took us by surprise!” they tried justifying themselves.

“We don’t have time for your excuses! You should all be praying that I don’t fire you all after this! Now, where is my son?”

“He is in his room my lord, the caretakers are keeping him safe”.

And just as the man said it, they heard a cry of one of the caretakers.

“Hyakkimaru! Dear child you must stay in the room!” it sounded like the caretaker that was holding him from sprinting into the battle scene. Before Daigo could even make a snarky remark about the intelligence of his son in his head, he heard the women who was holding Hyakkimaru yell in fear as Hyakkimaru came out of the room, with his wooden sword.

Daigo gasped. He couldn’t even comprehend what the boy was thinking! He should at least have some sense of danger and fear. But there the child was, running like an idiot into what surely will be his death. Daigo didn’t understand why his son did this. Has he really not learned that these monsters are dangerous? But then, the man remembered. From all the commotion he must have forgotten for a moment. Hyakkimaru has always been wanting to fight these monsters, ever since the first incident all those months ago. The lord didn’t understand why this was, but something was telling him that it had to do with the deal.

Hyakkimaru was heading in his full speed towards the creature, but thankfully on of the guards stopped him as he grabbed him away from the danger. And just as everyone thought they saved him, the creature basted its ridiculously long tongue onto the boy’s arm, and like a frog started dragging him towards itself in a ridiculous speed, the child’s hand slipping from the grasp of the guard. And just as the monster was dragging Hyakkimaru, he acted quickly, and used the wooden sword he had to stab the creature directly in its head.

There was a moment of anticipation, as the monster just stood still, unmoving. Thankfully, because of the enormous speed Hyakkimaru was being dragged at, the wooden sword made an impact as the monster finally collapsed because of the blow to its head.

Everyone in the room was silent. Did this small child who couldn’t even see nor hear beat a monster at least five times his size? Needless to say, despite the shook, everyone was amazed.  
But it was then the boy started uncontrollably shaking.

The young boy fell onto the ground. Everyone stared in horror at a grotesque sight of a fleshless leg that started growing out of him. Forming slowly.  And finally as the fingers with nails grew out, was when Hyakkimaru then went to touch his newfound limb in curiosity. Daigo had the purest look of terror. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Unfortunately, he had a feeling he knew what this newfound development meant.

Before he could act, before he could even think, he needed to check up on his wife and younger son. He told his men to keep a close look on Hyakkimaru, as he once again stormed out in a hurry.

It would be a lie to say that he was shocked when he saw both his son and his wife running towards the palace. Well, it seemed more like Nui was running after Tahomaru, as the boy was a few meters ahead of his mother. Anger started building up in Daigo. Can nobody do their job around here?

“You two! Don’t you remember that I told you to stay where I left you?” he yelled at the two.

“My lord! Forgive me, I tried to hold him back, but he escaped my grasp!” she tried her best to explain, clearly out of breath from running after Tahomaru. Then Daigo’s attention shifted towards his son, who looked quite guilty when his father aimed his eyes at him.

“Tahomaru, didn’t you understand my order? Who knows what might have happened if you came at the wrong time!” he yelled.

“Father, I couldn’t just stand there!” he protested. He sounded scared, as he was talking back to his father, which was something he learned isn’t a good idea to do a long time ago. “You didn’t come for such a long time, I was worried that something happened!” Tahomaru tried justifying himself. Fear could be heard in the child’s voice. Daigo completely understood him, but he was not any less angry. Tahomaru continued:

“Is Hyakkimaru ok?” he finally asked, his voice shaking just slightly, as of the young boy didn’t want his father to think he was weak, especially after he angered him.

“Your brother is fine”, he said, his voice lowering, “but something happened. And I’m not sure how or why”, he looked at Nui. “Follow me”.

The mother and child followed the head of the family into the now, quite ruined hallways of the palace. There was blood of the monster sprinkled across the walls, the liquid had a nasty smell.  
Following the trail of blood, the eventually arrived at the place the monster was defeated in.

And there Hyakkimaru was, as he noticed his family, he quickly got up as carefully as he could. He took slow steps towards them.

The boy… he had a leg. It was not a wooden one that kind doctor had made him, but a fleshless leg, yet a leg nonetheless.

“My lord… what-“, Nui let out a gasp, but she couldn’t even piece together a sentence from the shock.

“Nui, we need to talk”, Daigo said coldly, not meeting his wife’s eyes. She had a lump in her throat, knowing that something bad is about to happen. And she wasn’t ready for it.

 

* * *

 

After the whole ordeal, Daigo allowed Nui to take Hyakkimaru with them to their home for the night. A bond between a mother and her child is strong, and after what had nearly happened again, Nui couldn’t just allow Hyakkimaru to be alone. She begged her husband to let their son go with them, if just for a day, after all, the palace he was staying in before needed renovations after the attack and was not safe in the state it was currently in.

Once they arrived home, Daigo told her everything. He told her how their son nearly died, running like an idiot after the monster, but just at the last second managed to beat it by using its own strength and speed against it.

And then there was the fact that Hyakkimaru grew a leg. And Daigo understood clearly what it meant.

The deal he made with the demons, was in danger.

It was night. Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru were both in their room. Tahomaru was thinking. He just didn’t understand. How could Hyakkimaru just grow a leg? He had never heard of such a thing happening. He knew that this wasn’t normal. And despite being very happy for his brother, he had a feeling that something bad was coming.  
He turned in his bed, not really wanting to think about it, he curled in a small ball. But the thoughts just wouldn’t leave his head. After a couple of more minutes of squirming, he decided that he should ask his parents. He already asked them previously that day, but they told him they didn’t know. But they just had to know what this meant. They were his parents after all.

He slowly got out of bed, and quietly walked out of the room. He didn’t know why he had this habit, after all, it’s not like his brother could hear him.

He was walking near his parents’ room. But then he stopped. He could hear yelling coming from their room. It also seemed like, someone was crying. Soon he realized that the agonizing cry was his mother’s voice. And not only was she crying, she was also yelling. It was loud and scary, unlike anything he had ever heard from his mother. She never yelled like that, especially not at his father. And not only was she yelling, but his father was as well. It seemed like they were having an intense argument. He leaned closer to the door to hear what they were talking about.

“You can’t! I won’t let you!” he heard his mother’s sobs.

“Nui you don’t understand! The deal will be broken if we let this go on! Our entire land will die, the epidemics, the natural disasters, the wars, they will all start happening again!” he retorted.

Tahomaru didn’t understand. The land will die? How? Then again, he does remember hearing stories from before he was born, about the time his father’s land was on its last legs. But his father fixed it. It was something that Tahomaru greatly admired him for. He grew up wishing to be a leader like his father, to help his people and his nation. He continued listening to the conversation.

“I know that as a mother, this must be hard for you. But as a lord’s wife, it’s a sacrifice you must make. We have to get rid of Hyakkimaru, before it is too late”, Daigo told her, his voice more sympathetic and comforting, as if he could possibly understand how Nui felt. Nui despised him at the moment, to her he was nothing but a heartless beast.

That was the moment where all color drained from Tahomaru’s face. His father… he wanted to kill his brother. The boy didn’t understand why, and he didn’t need to. He might have not understood what his father’s reasoning was, but he heard the conversation. If he didn’t do something, his father will kill Hyakkimaru, his older brother.

“No please! We can keep him locked inside the castle, he won’t get into contact with any demons! The land will be safe, just please, he is our child!” she tried to reason.

“My word is final!” Daigo yelled. He was getting angry again, all the comfort leaving his voice. “I won’t risk another damn thing on this brat! He is constantly endangering this family and now he is endangering the land! It is a lord’s duty to do what is best for his people!”

“But it is a father’s duty to do what is the best for his child! What kind of a monster would kill his own child?” she countered him, her voice shaking with a big clear lump in her throat.

“I will order my men to get rid of him, and that is the final decision!” he told his wife, and that was when she fell on the floor and continued crying and sobbing.

“Wait!” she grabbed his sleeve. “Can’t you at least give me one more day? One more day to say goodbye? He is my son, I have to be able to be with him if only for a day more”, she pleaded, grossly sobbing at this point, her voice shaking uncontrollably.

“What? So you can try to get him out as soon as I have my eye off you? Well enough. I will order my guards to watch over both you and the boy, until what must be done is done. If you even attempt to help him escape, I will find a new wife! After all the sacrifices I made for you, you still manage to be disobedient and I will not stand it anymore!”. It was clear that Daigo saw through her plan, as she broke down into even bigger cries after he finished talking.

Tahomaru was still listening. But then he realized, that his father would come outside soon, so he aq fast as he could ran back into his room. And he just couldn’t allow that to happen. There might have been more to what Daigo was saying, but at the moment that thought didn’t even cross Tahomaru’s mind. He was scared, and he didn’t know what to do other then try to help his brother escape somehow. He had a day to save his older brother. And he will do it.

 

* * *

 

Tahomaru spent the night planning, he knew he only had one chance, one day to save his Hyakkimaru’s life, and he couldn’t allow himself to make a mistake. He also knew that he will need help, and that this entire plan was betting on Mutsu and Hyogo staying by his side. But he knew he could count of them, they were closer then friends, closer then siblings even. They would help each other no matter what, and he knew he could count on them.

The first thing Tahomaru did when he woke up that day, was go to Mutsu and Hyogo. While he was walking out of his room, he noticed a guard by the entrance to his room. Seems like his father took action, and thankfully just as he had hoped, it was single guard. The boy passed by him without any further questions.  
A couple of more minutes later, after all this was a big palace, he was in front of Mutsu and Hyogo’s room. Seemed like the two siblings were still sleeping. Made sense, after all it was still very early in the morning as the sun was just starting to rise.  
He gently shook them.

“Mutsu, Hyogo?” he called for them.

“Young master?” Mutsu was the first to wake up, while Hyogo was still snoring with drool coming out of his mouth. “Excuse me young master”, Mutsu said as she looked at her brother and playfully hit him in the shoulder, to which the tall boy woke up.

“Why did you do that?” he asked disoriented, his voice still sleepy. It seemed like her playful hit was slightly stronger then she anticipated it would be, to which she just figuratively shrugged in indifference.

“Young master Tahomaru is here”, she told him. “He was kind enough to just gently try to wake you up, but you kept sleeping so I had to interfere.

“Oh, sorry Tahomaru”, the lack of formal title made his sister hit him in the shoulder again. It was clear that Hyogo was still very sleepy, otherwise he would never make such a mistake. But it’s not like Tahomaru minded, if anything he liked when his friends called him by his first name. It made him feel like they truly were his friends, rather than his servants as his father told him they are.

“Listen”, he finally started.  
After a couple of more minutes of explaining, all his friends were just standing still in shock, their mouths agape. It was not like they didn’t believe him, they knew Tahomaru would never come up with such an outrageous lie, especially not about his father. That was why they were so shocked, they knew every word Tahomaru said was true and it horrified them. After all, Daigo was the man that saved their lives, without him they would have never met Tahomaru. But it was not like the lord was a saint. They saw how he treated Hyakkimaru when he was younger, they remembered the day when he hit both of his sons without a second thought.

“How do we help?” Mutsu asked first.

“I need you too to keep watch on the guard that’s looking after Hyakkimaru. We need to distract him somehow, while Hyakkimaru and I escape the palace”, he explained. “My plan is to stage an accident. We should all pretend to train somewhere where he’ll be the only person around, a place that’s close to an entrance no one but my family knows about. It found out about it during an accident before you came to live here. There was an enemy invasion, and my mother and I hid there till it was safe to leave. So I need you to distract the guard while me and Hyakkimaru escape. One of you should pretend to hit the other really hard. The guard is one of my father’s most trusted ones, I see him around a lot. He would never let my best friends get hurt without doing anything”, the boy closed his eyes, only to open them and continue:

“The moment that happens, Hyakkimaru and I will run towards the secret entrance and escape. It should only take us a minute or so if we’re lucky.

But in the case the guard noticed me and Hyakkimaru escaping…” he gave them a serious look. “Attack him”.

“We only have one shot. If we mess this up, there will be no second chance. Hyakkimaru will die.  
Please, can you do this for me?”

Mutsu and Hyogo exchanged a look.

“Young master we would follow you to hell and back”, they gave him a small determined smile.

“Only I worry”, Mutsu began with a thoughtful look. “How will you and Hyakkimaru survive all alone by yourselves? I just don’t want something to happen to you. Like what happened to me and Hyogo”, she admitted.

 

Yes Tahomaru knew the horrors, his two best friends went through. He was always a curious child, so of course he asked them where they were from back when they first arrived. Back then they didn’t want to answer him, after all he was a five year old at that time. But after some time had passed, the confined in him and told him their story. When he heard it, he told them that he will never allow such a thing to happen again to anyone. And right now, he didn’t know if he could fulfil that promise. Already realized yesterday, if he leaves, he will never be lord. But it was what must be done. He could never live with the guilt on his shoulders if he just allowed his brother to die.

“Young master, we will go with you! And keep you and Hyakkimaru safe!” Hyogo offered.

“You can’t!” Tahomaru explained. “If there is more of us, we will be spotted more easily, and it would be far too hard to keep us all fed. I would love to take you with us more then anything, but it would be too dangerous”, he told them.

“But young master! Then we’ll never see each other again-“, Hyogo tried protesting, to which his sister shut him down.

“Hyogo!” she yelled at him. “We are here to help our young master in the way he sees fit, not to argue with him or question his decisions” she scolded him. He was silenced. After a moment, he finally said:

“You are right, I’m sorry for being irrational”, Hyogo apologized.

Tahomaru smiled. He knew he could count on them. Everything will go well with their help, he was sure. They really were the best friends he could ever ask for. The whole situation was so overwhelming that he could just smile with small tears appearing in the corners of his eyes.

“Thank you both”. Tahomaru said, as they all hugged in a tight embrace.

 

* * *

 

The plan was finally being put to action. Tahomaru took Hyakkimaru out near the part of the court that was the closest to the entrance that lead to the escape route. The guard of course followed them.

Right now, all of the children were sword fighting, the only one who didn’t know it was all for show was Hyakkimaru. After an hour of practice, as they had to make it took believable after all, Mutsu finally struck Hyogo. It was a fake hit of course, but it still had the impact that would leave a bruise. Then as the plan demanded, Hyogo started yelling in pain.

The guard was alarmed and quickly ran towards the children. While he was looking at Hyogo and asking Mutsu questions, Tahomaru grabbed Hyakkimaru’s arm and went for the run. Hyakkimaru was caught off guard, but still followed his brother’s lead.

Tahomaru didn’t know if the guard noticed them or not, by the looks of it seemed like Hyogo and Mutsu did a great job of distracting him, or hitting him in the head, whichever was the case.

The finally arrived towards the secret entrance.  
But then Tahomaru just stopped in silence.

Doubt started overtaking him. If he did this, then he would never be able to return home, at least not with Hyakkimaru. He might never see his friends again, maybe not even his family. He and his brother would be on the run all alone. Fear started overtaking him. Could he really do this? Was his brother’s life really worth all of this?  
Then he looked at his brother, who was holding his hand. And just seeing Hyakkimaru made him realize that yes, this was the right choice. His brother already suffered so much. He never got to live the life Tahomaru had. But he was still human, he was still a person who deserved to live. He won’t let his father take away his life. It will be hard, but he will help his brother and they will both make it. They won’t lose. And with that, he and Hyakkimaru finally crawled into the entrance.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we finally get to the part of the story I started this fic over in the first place. Yeah,,, I just wanted about to write these two surviving in a cruel world, I'm a meanie.  
> Be afraid for what's to come! Be very very afraid.


	8. Live on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two brothers escape, and their journey begins.  
> While Tahomaru tries his best to be strong, he is haunted by fears of what his decision of helping his brother might lead to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been all over the place since the show ended ;-;  
> Just been drawing fanart basically, but I finally managed to get another chapter done!  
> This one is pretty simple, it's basically just here to set some things up.

Tahomaru looked at his brother, who was holding his hand. Just seeing Hyakkimaru made him realize that yes, this was the right choice. His brother already suffered so much. He never got to live the life Tahomaru had. But he was still human, he was still a person who deserved to live. He won’t let his father take away his life. It will be hard, but he will help his brother and they will both make it. They won’t lose. And with that, he and Hyakkimaru finally crawled into the passageway.

Its entrance lead to a dark cave like space. It didn’t seem naturally formed, which made sense as it was probably dug at the time the palace was built.  
Once Tahomaru closed the door, the whole place was pitch black.

“This is probably how you always see things, huh aniue?” he commented, while searching for something in the dark.  
The younger boy had clearly planned things ahead; as a light started illuminating the room, revealing that he was holding a candle. He had brought it into this room earlier today. And it was not the only thing he brought here.  
Once the room was illuminated, as the light radiated its warmth and shine, and shed it on a small bag near Tahomaru’s feet that contained a few other items.

“I know you can’t hear me, but I swear aniue, I won’t let anything happen to you”, he said with a determined, yet endlessly honest look on his face, as he lifted the heavy thing on the ground. Despite the bag’s small and appearance, it carried a lot.

“We better get going, before the catch up to us”, he said with a careful look towards the entrance.

They walked slowly through the long secret passage. Tahomaru knew that it was in their best interest to run as fast as they could, but with a candle in his hand that probably wouldn’t be a smart idea.  
After around twenty minutes of walking, the finally reached the exit.  
Outside was a river. It was flowing elegantly, yet boldly. To Tahomaru, it was quite a calming sight to see, after all the stress he endured and the stress that was to come.

Then the boy reached into his bag, and after a moment he found what he was searching for; he started taking off his elegant robes. He turned to his brother and explained.

“If they see us in our regular clothes, they’ll immediately know who we are by the way we dress. I took one of Hyogo’s old yukata. Two of them in fact. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, as they were pretty worn out, and he has much nicer clothes. The problem is, even Hyogo’s old clothes are significantly more expensive and noble than peasant clothes”, he summarized to the deaf child. Tahomaru felt so clever that he thought of this, oblivious to the fact that a yukata was no appropriate clothing for travelling. Or two wear in public during the spring.

His voice sounded slightly melancholic as he said it, because he remembered that he will probably never see Hyogo again. Or Mutsu, or his parents. He snapped himself out of it, as he started to get frightened over the idea. He shouldn’t think about this now!

Once he put on his friend’s garb, which felt odd without the pants. Steeling himself a bit he suddenly started pulling hard on one of the sleeves of it until it ripped. Soon after he did the same for the other sleeve. Not only that, but he also started pulling on his hair. He undid his ponytail, letting it down. He ruffled through his hair.

“This should do the trick. You too Hyakkimaru!” he told his brother and brought him his new outfit. Hyakkimaru just stood there and started analyzing the material he had been given. Then the younger suddenly realized, that Hyakkimaru would probably need help with putting them on. He figuratively slapped himself. Their mother always helped Hyakkimaru with outfit changing, how did he forget this? His mother… Tahomaru’s sighed. The woman was always so dedicated to them. Someone of her class should never be expected to even dress her children, as that was the job left for the servants. Of course Tahomaru didn’t know this, to him in was a normal, everyday thing. But he still knew how much she worked for them, how much she did everything in her power to be a good mother to her two sons.

After a couple more minutes passed, his brother was also dressed appropriately.

“There! I don’t think we’ll be as easily spotted now that we look like peasants!” Tahomaru explained proudly. He always had a habit of talking to his older brother, even though the older child couldn’t hear him. Tahomaru was just a very talkative person, and it’s probably going to take him some time to getting used to only talking with a companion who couldn’t hear him. But maybe someday his brother will hear him! A thought crossed Tahomaru’s mind. After all, Hyakkimaru had somehow grown a leg, maybe he will also grow an ear or two! He was still very much weirded out by the fact his brother grew a leg, but it gave him hope that his brother’s condition could be improved.

But this was not the time to think about that possibility. They had to get out of the area as soon as possible. It was well in the realm of possibility that that guard has already realized the two brothers have disappeared and told their father about it.  
Tahomaru grabbed Hyakkimaru’s hand and the bag, and started to run in the field of reeds, with Hyakkimaru quickly catching up.

The younger brother knew that if they wanted to away quickly that they would need transportation. If luck is on their side, their father hasn’t yet sent his men to hunt them down. He hoped there was enough time to buy a horse at the local village.

Tahomaru knew this village well enough, he had been in it with his father a couple of times. His father… He remembered how proud his father was of him, and how over the years that pride had dwindled. Just what would he think of him now, now that he disobeyed him in the worst possible way? Tahomaru stopped himself. No. He shouldn’t think about this now!

Despite it being a small village, there was enough cheap yet sturdy row houses to give it a sizeable population and more than one place to buy a well affordable horse. Tahomaru wasn’t stupid, he brought enough money for them to live at least a month of two. He only had vague plans of how they would afford food after that point, but right now the most important thing was to get transportation. Tahomaru knew how to ride a horse, and extremely well at that, and while Hyakkimaru never got the opportunity to try, Tahomaru is sure his brother will catch up shortly like he always did. And even if he didn’t have the same ease as he did with fighting, they could both ride together anyway. It’s not like they are going to buy two horses, that would be far too wasteful, and they could not be irresponsible with money at this moment.  
And of course, Tahomaru was ready for the arbitrary weird looks they will get from all the people confused at over the fact why two young children were buying a horse, but with Tahomaru’s money, the sellers couldn’t just say no to them.

After walking on the dusty path for some time, they were at the village. Thankfully the ripped out old clothes must have done the trick, as the village folk didn’t seem to realize that these two boys were the sons of their lord. It was luck that Hyakkimaru had only appeared with his family in another town before, otherwise everyone would have known who the little limbless boy was.

Walking through the village without multiple people stopping them to gaze at the Daigo brothers was a pleasant change, Tahomaru had to admit. Still they got weird looks. Hyakkimaru drew the most attention, but it wasn’t as if it wasn’t expected. These people were just regular peasants, of course they would be judgmental when even the higher class treated Hyakkimaru badly until he was proven worthy of acceptance. Tahomaru scoffed at the memory. His brother should have never had to prove himself.

Finally they arrived near a stable with horses. There was a man leaning close to the fence, which the younger boy assumed was the owner.

“Excuse me sir”, the disguised young lord approached him. “Are those horses for sale?”

“Why would you want to know kid?” the man responded in annoyance. He must be used to children asking him this question. He is probably thinking that Tahomaru is trying to ask him to allow him to have a ride on the horse. He sure is ready for a surprise.

“I would like to buy one, sir”, he told the man, with a more persistent tone in his voice this time.

“With what kid?” the man laughed, still very much annoyed at being pestered by village brats. That was when Tahomaru started searching into his bag, pulling out a few coins that should be well enough for them to buy the horse. As much as Tahomaru would like to show off, he knew that if he pulled more money from his bag proving the man wrong and embarrassing him, the seller would get suspicious and ask them where they got the money. And it wasn’t a smart idea other reasons as well, since some passerby could see Tahomaru’s money and try to rob him. So he just took a healthy amount of money and reached out to the seller, with a slightly cocky look on his face.

“Oh. Where did you get that money kid? Surely your parents wouldn’t have just given a child your age that much money without them being present”.

Tahomaru stopped for a second to think. What was the best way out of this? After a second or two, the boy struck back with a response:

“We earned that money ourselves by doing chores. We’ve been saving for my birthday. I always wanted to have my own horse”, he lied the best he could. The seller just looked at him suspiciously. He clearly didn’t but the story, as it was rather unbelievable that a peasant child could save enough money to buy a horse. He had seen enough of this already to know that these two children were clearly thieves, but he just shrugged. It was not like he was going to deny a customer.

“Which one do you want?” the man asked.

“The fastest one you got sir, and the tamest one, make it a small horse as well”, he said with a sound of relief in his voice as he listen off his criteria.

_This kid sure is demanding for a bad liar and a thief._ The seller thought as he went into the stable and returned with a beautiful brown horse.

“This is Keiko, she is our fastest out of our smaller horses. She is one of the younger ones, so she will still grow. And she is also very tame, so you don’t need to worry”, the man explained. . Tahomaru nodded along as if all these features were obvious just from looking at the mare. In truth is that he could only tell that she was definitely smaller than his own horse back at home. He could only hope that she was as well tempered as the seller said. “Alright, we’ll take her!” And he handed the horse seller the amount that the man had suggested. The older man looked at the money with surprise for a moment and he almost looked like he would complain. A sly smile spread across his face and he put the money away on his sleeve. The young lord felt a twinge of panic as he realized that maybe he was not supposed to have agreed so easily. But he could not back down, so he put on a resolute face and pretended he hadn’t overpaid for a horse he didn’t even touch yet. He tried to not look at the horse seller on the face as he led Keiko away by the reins.

Once they were out of the village, Tahomaru started helping his brother get into the horse, and teaching him how to hold fast to the reins so he doesn’t fall off. He decided that it would be safer if his brother sat on the front, while he sat on the back. That way he could always make sure that Hyakkimaru is safe and with him. He doesn’t want his brother accidentally falling off.

“You have to hold it like this”, he explained to the older child, while positioning Hyakkimaru’s hands so they are gripping strongly on the reins. He was sure that his brother got the gist of it, as he was now holding the reins properly by himself.  
Tahomaru made himself comfortable on the horse as well, and gave it a signal to start running, as he pulled the reins. And so the horse started to trot in a moderate speed.  
Tahomaru was glad for that, he’s never rode a horse with someone before, especially someone who’d never been near one. Needless to say he needed to be careful.

And so they rode the horse. And they rode it for hours, getting as far away from their home as possible. The landscape changed from houses to rice paddies, to smaller fields and eventually unbroken grassland. As the hours of the day ticked by, and the sun was beginning to set, and the children were growing tired. Or at least Tahomaru was. It was hard to tell when Hyakkimaru was sleeping since his eyes were always open.

When Tahomaru realized that it was time to rest, they were near a small stream. Tahomaru first allowed to horse to drink, later tying its reins up to a tree. The horse lay down, clearly exhausted from the whole day, and closed its eyes.

“You’re tired too huh? Keiko right?” the boy asked, despite knowing that there would be no reply. He was just tired from the whole day, and talking to others always cheered him up. He liked being acknowledged and noticed, and he sometimes had the need to seek attention, even if it’s a hopeless cause like his brother. He approached the horse that was now laying on the ground while holding his brother’s wooden hand, and they both sat on the ground and leaned onto the horse who was already fast asleep.

And then, when he was all alone with his thoughts, the fears and feelings that have been building up the entire day, finally came to the surface of his mind. It started out simple, as a small thought. He was just starting to wonder. What it will be like. To be all alone in this big world, with only his brother. He didn’t want to think about it, but he was well aware that he will not be able to see his friends or his parents again for a long time, if ever.

But, it’s not like he’ll never return. He will return some day, once he is sure that it’s safe. He knew that at least his mother would understand. He was certain that he’ll cross paths with her someday. At least, he kept that’s what he kept telling himself. But then the scary thoughts rang through his head, screaming at him and mocking him, the thoughts that you want to disregard, but they stay at the back of your mind, whispering to you, so silently yet like a thousand screams. It was then that he started to get scared.  
He’s been trying his best to ignore all of this today, because he knew he had to be strong. But now when there is nothing but peace and quiet, and he’s left to do nothing but wonder, his thoughts were crashing down under the heaviness of the situation as his negative emotions take full control. His feelings, his fears, and his regrets.

A growl could be heard from his stomach. That’s right, they hadn’t eaten. He was so worried about getting as far away from the land as possible that he didn’t even think about food. What if Hyakkimaru is hungry as well? He leaned closer to his brother to listen, and just then he heard the other boy’s stomach growl as well. The thoughts became stronger, like a thousand needles, voices starter piercing into his mind. Will he forget something this major again? What if they run out of money? He had a plan of working for money once they do ran out, but what if he couldn’t find any? What if nobody wants to hire them? What if they become malnourished and starve?  
Horrible images started flashing through his mind, of all the possibilities that could lead to their deaths. They can get robbed, the can get attacked, they could get kidnapped.  
They were just two small children in this big scary world.

Was this really the right thing to do?  
Had Tahomaru made a mistake?  
How could a small boy like him possibly take care of himself let alone his brother? They are going to die and it’s going to be his fault. But it wasn’t his fault! None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for his father.

Why did his father have to hate Hyakkimaru so much?  
He was starting to see him as his son, he was starting to accept him. Why would he want to do something so horrible to him? And the hardest part for Tahomaru was, he still loved his father, he still wanted them all to be a family. It’s true that he never saw his father the same after he realized how unfairly he treated his older brother. But he had hope, he had so much hope that his father would change and love and accept both of his sons. But now, he wasn’t even sure if his father was even worried. He very likely hated both of them now. Tahomaru was sure that his father would disown him, after what he had pulled. He never imagined that he would run away from home, that he would abandon everything and everyone he held dear.

Then he thought of his mother. He was getting really scared. A scary image appeared in his mind. What if his father punishes his mother because they ran away? What if he does something bad to her, what if he hurts her? He wanted to kill Hyakkimaru didn’t he? So many horrible scenarios begin appearing in his head, terrifying things he doesn’t want to think about.  
His father couldn’t, he just couldn’t. There’s no way he would ever harm his mother! Tahomaru knew how much his father loved her, even if he didn’t show it often.

But what about Hyogo and Mutsu? The blood in Tahomaru’s veins froze. If his father finds out they helped him escape, they will be punished, there is no doubt about it. They will be thrown on the streets, with no one by their side. And that's if they were lucky and his father didn't cut off their heads for treason.

All of this could happen, and it will be all his fault.

The little boy started breathing heavily, and shaking, tears beginning to cloud his vision. Quiet sobs leave his mouth as he curls into a small ball. His tiny, child hands grab and shelter his ears, in an attempt to stop the thoughts, as he shuts his eyes tightly. His breathing and sobs amplify with each passing second, becoming louder and louder. Darkness beginning to close in on him. He is left with only with the worst imagination, terrified and in tears.

It was then, that he felt something grab his face. He slowly turns his head, only to be greeted with the wooden doll like mask of his brother. The mask that would strike fear in any other person, and undoubtedly creep them out, this same mask brought so much comfort to Tahomaru now. It was the mask of his brother, his brother that despite all odds had lived. Had lived and continues to live no matter how much the world is against him.

Tahomaru went silent, his breathing still ragged.  
If his brother’s heart could beat so courageously for so many years, if the blood in his veins continued to flow despite all odds, then why is Tahomaru’s fear so great? His brother had a spirit, a spirit of a strong soul, who never gives up, that always continues to fight.  
He was always surprised in these instances, where his brother saw through him, without even having the gift of sight. He must have noticed something, something in his soul, something that no regular person could. His mother often said how she believed that Hyakkimaru had a special gift, a power if you will. And Tahomaru understood her completely.

Hyakkimaru understood his feelings, without hearing a word or seeing a thing. He always knew what to do, like the true older brother he was. He said so much, without saying anything at all.  
And seeing his brother, embrace him like that, and hold his face, comforted Tahomaru.

He shouldn’t think negatively. There is no point. What he should do is think of the best in this situation. He saved his brother’s life. Besides, he knew that his father would never harm his mother, and that his mother would never let his friends get harmed.  
He did the right thing, the good thing. He saved an innocent child just like him. His brother. And that can’t possibly be a bad thing.  
He was still crying, possibly even more now. But through all the sobs and tears, he managed to utter:

“Brother, I swear to you that I will never let anyone hurt you. I will always try to protect you, always”. He says in a shaky, yet endlessly brave, determined voice.  
He made his decision. He will protect his brother no matter what.  
Through trial and error, they will get through this. They won’t lose. They will give their all, and the will survive. They will live and like his brother had always done, they will continue living on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so! I don't really like how this chapter came out, but I've been writing and fixing it for abt a few days now, so I just ended up posting it, even if it's not that interesting or evenful.
> 
> Also!! One of you wonderful readers offered to fix the spelling mistakes in my story! I am just a very impatient potato, so I ended up posting this chapter early without their proof-reading. I know, impatience is a bad habit... Anyhow, they'll be going back and checking for mistakes in my story soon, so I might have to edit a few chapters.  
> But basically I just wanted to thank that person!! So thank you fetuscakes!
> 
> EDIT: Small addition! But I actually like this chapter now thanks to the help of fetuscakes! They not only fixed the grammar and spelling mistakes in it, but also suggested some really good ideas as well as added a couple of lines that really made the story flow much better! I have learned my lesson now UwU, from now on I will wait and not be impatient. Since it's worth it!  
> Another addition! I will be going back and editing the way Tahomaru refers to his brother, since him calling Hyakkimaru aniue is a key aspect of his characterization when it comes to their relationship.


	9. Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When lord Daigo finds out about his sons' escape, it would be an understatement to call him enraged.  
> During that time, the two brothers are getting used to their new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now this is one long chapter! Lots of events happen in this one, some smaller, some bigger. I once again have to thank fetuscakes, because they really do an amazing job in improving this story! The first segment of this chapter wouldn't have worked as well if it wasn't for their additions! They rewrote Mutsu's dialogue in the first scene and made actually work and flow well! So, enough of my ramblings, enjoy the chapter!

“My lord! The young masters seem to be missing!” Lord Daigo’s eye twitched when he heard the news. “They were last spotted with the two servant children, Mutsu and Hyogo”, one of the guards informed the lord. It was the same guard that was in charge of keeping the two young lords safe. His voice had a layer of unimaginable fear in it. He knew what was coming, he knew that failing his lord in such a way will surely cost him his life.

“What did you say?” Daigo’s roar was full of rage and shock. This man was one of his best guards, how did he fail him like this?

“This will not go unpunished!” he bellowed. “I’ll figure out what to do with you later. Now, call for a search on the two boys, immediately! Inform every guard or soldier if you have to, get my sons here, and get them now!”  
He screamed as the guard jumped to carry out the orders. His voice carried the slightest twinge of desperation and fear in it.

“Yes, sir”, he bowed low and rushed out of the room as if the demons were on his tail.

“My lord, what is happening?” lady Nui had entered the room, wondering about the shouting.

“Don’t play dumb!” he turned to her in rage. “You certainly had something to do with this. I warned you what will happen if you disobey me again. Don’t expect to get off easily”, he spat the words as if they were fire.

“My lord, I-I don’t understand”, she was starring to shake. What had just happened? While her husband was prone to fits of rage, this has been the first time in a long while since she had seen him this angry.

“Both of our sons are missing! They are nowhere to be found in the castle. What did you do?” he accused, towering over her and looking much like he could strike her.

When the words sank in, she gasped _. Tahomaru, he must have somehow helped Hyakkimaru escape._ Her son, her firstborn, Hyakkimaru was safe. Endless relief came over her, only to be replaced by fear a split second later. This meant that her two sons were now alone, all alone in the world on as runaways. They didn’t know how to take care of themselves, what if something happened to them! She started breathing heavily in shock at the realization as the endless possibilities of how they could die appeared in her mind. Horrible flashes of images couldn’t stop playing in her head. It was a dangerous world they lived in. And her sons were nothing more than mere children.

“Something will happen to them! What if they get killed, or kidnapped!” her ragged breathing got worse as tears started rolling down her face.

“Don’t act as if you aren’t responsible for this!” he rebuked her, with a bit of uncertainty this time. His wife breaking down and crying wasn’t out of character for her, but still she sounded genuinely shocked over what he had told her. Just as he was analyzing her reaction, she shot back:

“I didn’t do anything! I obeyed you, I didn’t interfere with your plans just like I promised, my lord, I swear!” her voice scared, shaky, but endlessly truthful and honest. She seemed so genuine, as if not a single lie left her mouth.

And he paused at that. Was it possible that she wasn’t involved in this at all? Then that must mean…

Tahomaru had overheard them that night. His heir must have heard when he said that he will have Hyakkimaru killed. Maybe the child didn’t hear the full conversation. But that doesn’t matter now, the boy had doomed them all.  
If Hyakkimaru isn’t found, there’s a chance he might be able to obtain his body, and the land will then be in grave danger.  
No, he will find Hyakkimaru, there’s no way his two sons could have gotten very far. He will get rid of him.  
His attention then shifted to the two children on the other side of the room. The children he had not only saved, but given a home to. Mutsu and Hyogo. Tahomaru’s best friends. There’s no doubt in his mind that they helped the little brat save his brother. He couldn’t believe that his son, the same son he had so much faith in. The son that was supposed to be his successor, was behind this.

The guard that had lost the sons reentered the room and bowed. Daigo turned to him:

“Were these two involved in the escape?” he gestured towards the servant siblings.

“I am uncertain sir. The last time they were together with the young lords all four children were practicing sword fighting. Then Hyogo got hit. As I was looking over him, the young lords must have escaped”, he reported, his voice full of uncertainty.

“It’s as clear as day that you two were involved”, he said coldly. , glaring at the two children bowing before him. “Maybe if you're lucky, I won't decide to have your heads roll for this!” his voice, so icy a moment before, rose with his raging fury. His threat was credible.

“My lord! Please! We don't know how this happened!” Mutsu bravely spoke, her voice watery as if she was going to start crying too. And it was lucky that she was the one to speak. Of the three children, she was the most experienced actress. She could keep an impassive emotionless face, or fake an emotional outburst depending on what the situation called for. Not only that, but she was an excellent liar. The words she said slipped out of her tongue with ease, as if she was truly telling the truth.

“Whatever punishment you have for us, we will take it! Tahomaru-sama was our charge and we failed our duty in watching him. But please my lord!" She hiccuped as if she was biting back a flood of tears. Next her Hyogo tried to not look at her face, because it would become obvious that her eyes were quite dry. "Please my lord! Believe that neither myself nor my brother would do anything to put Tahomaru-sama in danger. We're worried too! Please allow us to look for him as well. Then you can do whatever you like to us! Beat us, turn us out, take our heads, we don't care! We just want to see the young master is safe."

She finally finished by pressing her forehead to the floor in supplication and wailing with rather convincing sobs. Hyogo realized that he would have to act too to make this authentic. He was not as good of an actor, so he had to make himself actually sad to bring up tears in his eyes. Fortunately, or unfortunately from his point of view, it was easy to cry when he thought of the horrible things that would happen to him and his sister if Lord Daigo did not believe their story. Or worse still, if Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru were found dead because they were unescorted. Tears burned his eyes as he also bowed low. "Please my lord..." his voice was genuinely quivering.

Lord Daigo frowned deeply as he considered the two, but there was hesitation in his eyes.

“My lord, please!” Nui spoke up. “We do not have time for this! Our children are missing!" But she saw in her husband's face that he did not want to leave this matter unresolved.

“I think they are telling the truth. If a bruise forms on the place Hyogo was hit, we will know that they weren’t involved! And if they are lying, the truth will come to the surface as soon as tomorrow!” she tried her best to make him understand her point. “Please, I beg of you, don’t hurt them. Even if they are lying, I can’t bear the thought of hurting children right now”, she broke down in sobs, her face wet with tears as if endless rivers were falling down her eyes.

“Very well then”, he bit his lip. “If no bruise forms I will decide what to do with those two”. Even if they are lying, it is possible that they didn’t realize the full consequences for helping Hyakkimaru escape.

Mutsu and Hyogo kept their heads down, trying to not let the relief show in their faces. Both of them knew that when Mutsu hit someone, no matter how lightly, it left a bruise. So they knew they were safe. It was then that the lord turned to them, ready to make things crystal clear:

“Mutsu, Hyogo. If by any chance you are lying, know that your punishment will be grave. Because if you did help my two sons escape, that means you two are responsible for endangering the entire land.” The siblings were confused at what their lord said. Even Mutsu's stoic face wavered. _What does this have to do with the land?_ Their confusion was evident in their faces and lord Daigo made a rash decision, but one he thought necessary. Before they could even think about the implications of what he said, their lord explained:  
“Hyakkimaru is a demon child we have been selfishly raising as one of our own this whole time because he is our son”, the children’s eyes grew wide at that. _A demon child? Did Tahomaru know this?_ But the lord wasn’t finished:  
“If he somehow retrieves his body this land will fall. So if you are lying, you will have to live with the knowledge that you caused the end of the Daigo clan and all of its lands”, his words coldly left his mouth, with the silent threat neither would live too long to ponder their mistake. Yet they stayed still, their heads still respectfully bowed.

“As for my sons”, his expression grew darker. “Hyakkimaru will be found and he will be taken care of. I have let this farce go on long enough".

“And...and Tahomaru-sama, my lord?” The waver in Mutsu's voice was not fake this time.

Lord Daigo scowled. “He is disowned from this family. I will have no traitor as an heir!” He stomped out of the room, taking perverse satisfaction in the shocked faces of the two servant children. Nui followed him, grabbing his sleeve and pleading for his attention. When they were out of earshot from the servants, he whipped around so violently she nearly fell backwards.

“You will bear me another son. A worthy son. You better not fail me”.

And with that, he left her kneeling in the hallway, too dumbfounded to even cry

With a grim expression, he kept muttering to himself:

_My ambitions will be fulfilled._

 

* * *

 

Tahomaru woke up early that morning. Maybe it was because of the never-ending sound of forest life surrounding them, maybe it was because of the endless stress he’s forced to endure, or perhaps it was because of his hungry, empty stomach. It was growling, even more so than yesterday. _That’s right, we haven’t eaten anything in hours._ He remembered as he turned towards where his brother slept the day prior, only to find that he wasn’t there. Panic started building up. He hasn’t considered that his brother would ever try to leave him! And before the stress was able to fully hit him, he turned around only to notice that his brother was on the horse they bought. It seemed like the boy was observing it, maybe even playing with it in his own way, as he was rubbing the horse’s mane. Endless relief came over the younger brother, as he let out a deep sigh.

“You had me worried aniue. For a second I thought you have left me”, he smiled at his sibling. He was thankful-, that his brother didn’t even try to run away, because it showed the bond the two had. Hyakkimaru cared for him, as much as the Tahomaru cared for the older. Tahomaru felt slightly silly for even thinking that his brother would abandon him.

His thoughts were interrupted, as his stomach growled again. The feeling of hunger over its emptiness wasn’t pleasant at all. And the worst part was, he didn’t bring any food with him, and there was no towns in sight. Tahomaru again, feels the stress beginning to pile up within him, but just at that moment, but then he heard the sound of rushing water, and remembered the stream that was only a few feet away from them.  
_That’s right! We could catch some fish!_ Tahomaru felt a slight boost in his confidence for coming up with that idea, after all the possible mistakes he made, any good idea seemed great in his mind. But the pride was short lasted, as at the very next second he remembered that they had no fishing equipment. _It was not as if it was impossible to catch a fish without a rod._ But Tahomaru wasn’t stupid, he did bring a small tantō with him. It was a relatively small sword, as Tahomaru knew that a child walking around with a katana would bring a lot of unwanted attention to them. A tantō was practical because of its small size as it allowed Tahomaru to carry it in their bag. And it was a very efficient weapon for defending oneself, and not only that, but perhaps it could prove useful for catching fish as well.

But then again, he knew little to nothing about preparing fish.  
Still it couldn’t be that hard could it? He just needs to start a fire.  
And thankfully, he was prepared, as the matches he used in the cave the day prior were still with him.  
In that moment he realized that eventually he will run out of fire matches, and that he will need to learn some traditional technique of starting a fire, so he and his brother aren’t forced to eat raw meat. _Yet another thing he didn’t consider._ He thought as he mentally slapped himself.  
But that wasn’t going to be a big issue, after all, Tahomaru knew about the bow drill, he just never had the chance to use it himself. So it was not as if they were in any danger.

Taking out the sword, the younger boy called out to his brother as he grabbed the older boy’s arm:

“Aniue! Let’s try to catch some fish to eat! I don’t know about you, but I am starving”, he half-joked, as he started walking away, pulling the other’s arm in the process.

The two brothers were now at the stream. Fish could be spotted swimming with the water’s flow, faster than the eye could catch. Tahomaru grew worried again. This could prove to be a lot harder then he imagined. Nevertheless, he was not going to give up. He swung his sword clumsily, in attempt to hopefully pierce though one of the fish. But his first try proved to be a complete failure as it seemed like the boy was trying to stab the water rather than the fish. Determination grew on his face, as he repeated the stabbing motion again. And again. More than several dozen minutes pasted, and the former young lord was beginning to grow irritated. His stomach was killing him, and he was very sweaty from all the work.

Then he felt someone grab his hand. Of course it was his brother. The older boy seemed to be gesturing towards the sword in Tahomaru’s hands, almost as if he was saying that he wants to try.  
The younger saw no reason to deny his brother, so he offered Hyakkimaru the tantō.

The older child was staring at the stream carefully. And then in precise motion, he pierced through the air at an incredible speed. When he pulled the sword out of the water, Tahomaru was taken aback when he realized that his brother had somehow managed to catch a fish in his first try.  
If his stomach wasn’t growling like crazy at the moment, the little back haired boy would have definitely felt the slightest pinch of jealousy. But as things stood, he was hungry, and he didn’t have time for petty emotions.

“That’s amazing aniue!” he praised his brother, his voice sounding overjoyed and filled with craving for that delicious fish. “Can you try catching some more?” he quickly added, but his brother was already getting down to business before Tahomaru even finished the sentence.

Unfortunately, the next few attempts didn’t bring any results, it seemed like the first catch was very much luck. Tahomaru knew that he shouldn’t feel satisfaction over that, but it made him glad to know that he wasn’t just being extremely incompetent.

And during that time, he lit a small fire. He was a bit scared of doing it at first, after all, it was not as if the child was familiar with the process, but he managed to do it successfully without burning himself. It made him feel just the smallest twinge of pride after the fact, since just a few moments earlier he was failing miserably at catching fish. So it felt nice to do something right.

After a couple more minutes of trying and failing, Hyakkimaru managed to catch another fish.

Tahomaru set the fish on a wooden stick, and the two brothers were now waiting for their meal to cook. The hunger Tahomaru’s stomach only amplified because of the delicious, tasty smell of the fish in the fire.

But finally, it seemed like their breakfast was complete. Tahomaru took the fish out, and tried a bite from it. The texture and the taste, wasn’t what he was used to. It still had a slightly rough, raw feel to it, while some parts were burned. _But it was ok for a first try._ He told himself as he reached out to his brother to give him the other fish.

And the two boys finally satisfied their hunger.  
Their horse also seemed to be hungry, as she was eating the grass from the area of the tree she was tied too.

Tahomaru felt pleasant about their morning. He felt proud of himself and his brother, for managing to figure things out on their own.  
And he came to the realization that it’s probably for the best that they stay close to towns from now on. Despite this being a fun and helpful learning experience, having an empty stomach for the entire morning definitely wasn’t something Tahomaru wanted to do ever again.  
And it was probably for the best that they don’t sleep alone in the woods, for a multitude of reasons that only just crossed Tahomaru’s mind now. They could be robbed, they could be attacked, and it will be luck if it’s not by some wild animal, and they could be kidnapped too. Yes, it was definitely for the best that they stay near towns from now on, maybe even ask someone to offer them a place to sleep.

“We should get going, and hopefully find some town nearby to stay for tonight”, he said as he approached his horse, untying her from the tree and giving his brother a determined look.  
And so they set off.

It was a sunny, excessively warm day, made more draining by the fact that it was noon. But despite the hot sun exhausting him and making sweat appear all over his body, staining his clothes, he enjoyed the ride. There was just something endlessly captivating about seeing the beautiful landscapes glowing with nature as the sun shined its rays upon them. It made for a gorgeous sight. Tahomaru wished his brother could see it too, to experience this beautiful wide world that even the younger child hasn’t had the chance to quite see yet.

It took the children hours, but around mid-afternoon, they managed to find a small village.

And it truly was a small village, with no more than a couple of dozen houses. When they entered, they were greeted with was tiny square with a few stands where people were selling fruit, vegetables and of course, rice. Seeing all the tasty food, made Tahomaru feel hungry again. Which made sense, it was way pass lunch time. _But first, they needed to find a stable for their horse_. The child thought as he approached one of the sellers. It was an old lady, and she seemed rather friendly.

“Excuse me?” the boy greeted her, trying not to get distracted over all the tasty food she was selling. She smiled at the child.

“Would you like to buy something young man?” she asked.

“Certainly, but I first wanted to ask if you maybe knew of any local stables for my aniue and I to settle our horse?” he politely asked. He had learned a long time ago, that when talking to elders, one has to be at their best behavior to show respect. But the woman did not answer them, she was taken aback at the child’s formal speech. He spoke like he was from an aristocratic family. It was strange though, as the attire of the two young boys looked anything but noble. She wondered why they were wearing a yukata during the spring. That’s not even mentioning the strange taller boy, who seemed to have wooden arms and legs, as well as a mask covering his face.  
_Probably runaways._ She concluded. _Or perhaps they were from a noble family that lost their wealth?_ But it was not polite to assume things, especially about a potential customer, so she kept her mouth shut about the questions circulating in her mind. It was best not to get involved in any potential trouble. She cleared her throat and finally spoke:

“Yes, there is a small stable near the end of the village, if you walk straight you will reach it in a minute or two”, she answered them politely.

“Thank you ma’am! Sorry for the questions, now, we would like to buy some rice”, he said eagerly, clearly very impatient. _The boy was probably hungry._ The woman assumed. _It seems like these two are travelers. Who knows when was the last time they’ve eaten._ Then again, neither of the two brothers seemed to be malnourished, and in fact both seem to look quite well-fed. She knew she shouldn’t get involved with them. Still, the idea of two young children travelling all alone in this dangerous world, didn’t sit well with her. It was true that the land was in a better state then it was a decade ago, but even now there were many horrors out there.

“How much rice do you need?” she asked the talkative brother, as the other didn’t even utter a word since the two boys came to her stand.

“Oh! Of course”, the smaller of the two blushed in embarrassment. “Enough to last us a week perhaps? Or maybe not, if it’s too much to carry”, he quickly amended as he seem to think better of it.

_These two don’t even seem to have a clue._ She felt bad for them. It was clear that whoever these two brothers were, they won’t be able to last a day once the money they somehow obtained runs out. She felt guilty, over the idea of her leaving them all alone, clueless like this. _She shouldn’t get involved._ She kept telling herself at least. But she couldn’t help it. Not only did she feel worry for these two young boys, but she was also very curious about them. Just what was their story? Where did they come from? All these thoughts were endlessly playing themselves on repeat in her head as she was taking out the rice to give to the children. And just as they were thanking her and preparing to leave, she couldn’t hold herself back any longer:

“Do you two need a place to stay for the night? It seems like you are travelers. I’d be happy to help you”, she said, biting her old lip as she reconsidering her offer. But it was too late now, as the boy with the wild black hair already formed a bright smile on his face.

“Thank you ma’am! Yes, that would be wonderful”, he said with a bow. _A very polite child indeed._

 

* * *

 

After the old lady was done with her work, and the brothers settled their horse in the stable, the three arrived at the woman’s home.  
It was a small house, but it had a large field behind it. _Makes sense_. Tahomaru thought, after all, the woman had to get those fruits and vegetables from somewhere. But the lack of life in the house threw him off. Did this old lady really live alone and take care of a huge field all by herself? Though, she didn’t look too fragile, she was still rather old. With curiosity getting the better of him, he asked:

“Ma’am, excuse me for being assumptive, but you seem to live alone. Do you grow all those fruits and vegetables by yourself? And harvest them and sell them too?” he seemed genuinely amazed at the idea. The old lady, couldn’t help but smile at the boy.

“Well, for the most part I do. When I get the chance and the money, I always ask the local villagers for help”, she answer him, as he stood in awe.

“That’s amazing ma’am!” he said amazed.

“It is bound to be my death one of these days”, she chuckled at her own dark joke. She knew she probably shouldn’t joke about such things in front of children, but it accidentally escaped her lips. She felt bad about it immediately afterwards. She didn’t want to scare these kids. “You don’t have to keep calling me ma’am. It’s Fuyumi”, she told him.

“Fuyumi-san, then. Thank you for your hospitality. Perhaps since you’ve told us your name, it would be polite for us to introduce ourselves too”, the he stopped for a second, reconsidering his move. It is probably not the wisest idea to give out their names to just about anyone. It wasn’t much of a stretch to think that people would somehow know the names of lord Daigo’s sons. “I am Taro, and this is my aniue Hayato”, he lied. He mentally slapped himself for the second time today, once he realized that their fake names still sounded close to their real ones.

“Fuyumi-san, can I help you with preparing the dinner? It’s the least I can do after what you’ve done for us” he asked quickly, almost as if he was trying to distract her. He knew he wasn’t the best liar. And right now, he couldn’t afford the old woman getting suspicious and kicking them out.

“Of course Taro-kun”, she said in a small surprise. She didn’t expect him paying her back so soon. Though she was curious again, about the other child. He looked to be the older of the two, but since they met, he hasn’t spoken a word. And then there was the fact that he seemed to be limbless, and that he was wearing a mask to cover his face for whatever reason. And that’s not even mentioning the bandages covering the boy up.

“Excuse me if this is too personal, but why is your brother so quiet? And he seems to not have any limbs. And why is he so bandaged up? As well as that mask he wears-“, she began asking. And perhaps she was being rude. She didn’t want to make the children uncomfortable, but still, she was very curious. Her curiosity about the duo was one of the main reasons why she offered them to stay for the night.

Tahomaru was taken aback by the question. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too risky if he just told the truth? And so he began:

“Well you see, my aniue was born blind and deaf, as well as limbless. And his skin is very sensitive so he has to wear bandages”, he told her the truth. Well, at least that was what his mother had told him when he asked her those questions.

“Ah, I see. That’s terrible. Your brother must have it very heard. I assume you take care of him?”

“We both take care of each other!” Tahomaru said proudly. “My brother is quite strong despite his appearance”, he smiled at the old woman. She was surprised at the response. This boy seemed to really care about his brother and respect him. And it warmed her heart a little, their brotherly bond.

“Well, I am glad you too boys have each other”, she smiled back at them.

So the she and the younger child started preparing dinner. And soon, it was clear to her just how utterly clueless this boy was. It seemed like he has never even been near a kitchen. But, she was only making rice, and it seemed like he was quickly grasping the process, absorbing it like a sponge.  
He wasn’t of much help, even if he tried being as helpful as he could. But the biggest help was that he was keeping her company. It has been awhile since she has eaten dinner with somebody, and preparing it in someone’s presence was pleasant. The boy kept asking her questions about the process and her _technique_ , while trying not to make the fact that he had no idea what he was doing sound too obvious. Of course he failed, as she quickly saw through him.

“Excuse me if this is too personal, but who are you two boys? I mean, where did you come from? It’s not often our village gets visitors”.

“Oh! Well..” he awkwardly tried coming up with a lie. “We recently became orphans you see. And we’re on our own trying to figure things out right now”.

“I am sorry to hear that”, she said in a sad voice. It was always horrible to hear about children losing their parents. Oh how horrible it must be to be so young, and yet so utterly alone in the world.

“Were you children of a noble family?” she asked.

“How did you-?” he sounded surprised how quickly she pieced it together and he began to grow worried. Just how much did she know?

“Oh, it’s just the way you speak. It’s just not what I’m used to hearing. Its sounds very high-class. And you both don’t seem to have much experience with the world”, she explained to him. “For example, you are wearing a yukata during the spring”.

Tahomaru was genuinely surprised at her response. This was not what peasants wore? He was sure that they wore lighter clothing than the nobles, so a yukata seemed perfect as a disguise to his naive mind. _I should have asked Hyogo and Mutsu before about this before we left._ He mentally slapped himself for the second time today. All the missteps he made since he left didn’t do any good to his self-esteem, but he knew he shouldn’t blame himself. He was new to this, it wasn’t his fault. He will buy some appropriate clothing as the first thing tomorrow.  
And her noticing his formal speech made sense. Perhaps he should try speaking more like a peasant? But how does one do that? He supposed he will figure it out in time.

“Well you are right. Our father was a samurai, and well, he lost his life recently in the war. And we’ve been on our own ever since”, he told her the half-truth, since their father really is a samurai. Only he is still very much alive.

When he saw the gloomy expression on the woman’s face, he quickly wished he told her a different story. She didn’t seem pleased with his answer at all.

“Fuyumi-san?” he asked, his voice worried.

“My late husband died because of a samurai”, she said without looking up, clearly avoiding the boy’s eyes. Her tone was somber, and full of resentment. “Samurai do nothing but force their power onto others. They are the lowest of the low”. She didn’t care how insensitive she was being after the boy had told her he had lost his father. She didn’t care if she disrespected his father. She didn’t seem to care at all how much she could hurt the child’s feelings by saying what she said.

And Tahomaru was offended by what she said. He never expected her to disrespect samurai like this. _They were not the lowest of the low, they were heroes who protected their land!_ The boy thought to himself. But still, the former young lord didn’t protest. He said nothing. He didn’t want to argue. This was clearly very personal to her. And so the rest of the evening went by in silence.

By the time the morning sun was beginning to shine its rays upon the sleeping children, Tahomaru woke up. And the first thing that greeted him was the old woman, asking him and his brother to pack up their things and leave.

He felt sad over the whole ordeal. The old lady was so nice to them up until their last conversation yesterday. But no matter what, he didn’t protest. She showed them too much kindness and hospitality for him to be demanding and disrespectful.  
And so, politely, he said his goodbyes and thanked her for everything, as he and his brother left.

Before leaving the town, he bought the two of them a pair of kosode. They were much more appropriate clothes for travelling, as the seller told them. Not only that, but he also bought a small pot for cooking rice. And with that, the two boys went to get their horse, and then took off, leaving the small village behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, this is the last chapter of the story. As of now, I am way too unmotivated to finish writing this fic, I apologize.  
> Still, just so I don't leave you without an ending, here's the outline of all the events that would have happened at some point:
> 
> \- Seeing a homeless poor woman breastfeeding her child and giving her money  
> \- Getting attacked and almost robbed.  
> \- Buying a sword  
> \- Staying for a while in that town finding a job. After a meeting with a samurai, their boss realizes these two kids are Daigo’s and keeping them captive only for them to escape.  
> \- Being hungry and trying to steal food  
> \- Getting in trouble with a samurai (Tahomaru standing up for what he thinks is right and getting scolded).  
> \- The samurai realizing the kids are Daigo’s (it’s only a single samurai), and then that samurai kidnapping them.  
> \- Dororo’s parents saving them (Dororo being born)  
> \- Being hungry again and looking for jobs.  
> \- Deciding to become demon hunters  
> \- Hyakkimaru getting a limb back, and Tahomaru’s reaction to that.  
> \- Hyakkimaru getting hurt/getting his limb destroyed, and Tahomaru desperately looking for a doctor.  
> \- Meeting Kaname  
> \- Kaname helping the children by introducing them to Jukai  
> \- Staying with Jukai for awhile  
> \- After Hyakkimaru continues with demon hunting and regains more body parts (over the years, by this time they are 13), Daigo starts getting worried since his land is slowly suffering more and more problems, making him send his samurai to look even harder for his sons.  
> \- Hyakkimaru, Tahomaru and Jukai basically becoming nomads and going from place to place  
> \- Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru starting to see Jukai as a parental figure  
> \- Meeting an orphan Dororo and adopting him  
> \- Time-skip (Hyakkimaru still hasn’t regained his hearing, sight, hands and voice) – They are 15/16 year olds now  
> \- Hyakkimaru regaining his hearing  
> \---  
> \- Meeting Mio  
> \- Both Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru developing a crush on her.  
> \- Tahomaru telling Hyakkimaru after Hyakkimaru is calmed by Mio’s singing: “Mother used to sing a lot to us, I’m sure you would have loved her voice”.  
> \- Tahomaru confronting Mio about her job and warning her how it could be dangerous.  
> \- Just like the episode, Hyakkimaru goes to fight the demon, Dororo and Jukai follow him. Tahomaru is out buying some food, and he returns just when the samurai arrive.  
> \- One of the samurai has worked as a guard in Daigo’s castle and recognizes Tahomaru and Tahomaru not having his sword with him and being outnumbered gets taken hostage.  
> \---  
> \- Since the story is (mostly) from Tahomaru perspective, we don’t see what happens to Mio (yet)  
> \- Tahomaru’s confrontation with Daigo.  
> \- Tahomaru getting beating and later jailed by Daigo as punishment.  
> \- Nui, Mutsu and Hyogo’s reactions to seeing Tahomaru again  
> \- Daigo made Nui bare him another child (correction: children, since the first one was a girl)  
> \- Mutsu, Hyogo and Nui going to talk with Tahomaru (while being supervised of course). Mutsu being exceptionally mad at Tahomaru, for not only putting them in that situation all those years ago, but for endangering the land and not telling them (she doesn’t want anyone to live through the same horrors she had to live through as a child)  
> \- Hyakkimaru after the Mio rampage realizes his brother is gone and decides to go look for him. (the only parts he has missing now are his arms and eyes).  
> \- Tahomaru’s dilemma after realizing how bad the land has been suffering (his guilt becomes even worse when he later finds out Mutsu caught the plague).  
> \- Tahomaru telling his father his plan to sacrifice himself to the demons for the land.  
> \- The sacrifice going wrong and Asura giving Tahomaru Hyakkimaru’s arms and eyes.  
> \- Hyakkimaru arriving to Daigo’s castle only to see Tahomaru with his body parts. Rage ensues.  
> \- Tahomaru being more conflicted than ever, not wanting to make people suffer like his friends did, but not knowing how to help his brother.  
> \- The brothers hug and that’s how it ends. It’s an open ending for what happens.
> 
> Thank you all for sticking around for this story, even if it's sadly going to be left unfinished.


End file.
